The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-24
THE PRICE OF SHOES
Official Investigation Discloses
Interesting Facts

fit on standard footwear, that Is
shoes selling for $50 or less q pair
ANA which do not carry Il luxury tax.
has created what might be called "a.
tempest in Il shoe shop all over the
gnited States
The tempest was caused by little
item wired from New York ON March
- 10 the effect that the federal au
tthorities had announced they had
seen informed by John Slater. presi-
dent OF the local retail Dealers asSo-
ciation. chat ..standa. d shoes would
be reduced during the spring and
summer. 1t was published in many
newspapers and pater and mater
familias. with lots Of little fec" 70 be
shod. chuckled over the glad :st,,ti
news at manyfa supper table The
item read:
New York, March 22.-Price of
/ standard shoes will be reduced dur
ing the spring and summer. John Slat-
er. president Of the. Retail Shoe Deal
ers' Association. announced today. in
a communication to Arthur Williams.
federal food administrator. Retailers
at recent meeting decided to be con-
tent with a smaller margin of profit.
Mr.. Slater said. Reductions. however.
will not apply to ali kinds Of fancy
1 and ultra fashionable footwear.'
"TIie action of the retail shoe deal
! ers. Mr. Williams said, probably pre-
saged the beginning of a general mar
rowing OF profit margins III other
j wearing apparel y
One paper in Arkansas carried the
item with the heading: Here's Hope
for the Weary; Says Prices May Come
Down" BY many it was regarded as
/ the first real move toward reduc-
/ ton in the high cost OF living. The
/ next day or SO retail Shoe store pat
rons from coast 10 coast and from
Oshkosh to the Gulf visited their ia
| voritedealers TO buy the cheaper foot
wear The dealers. many OF whom
! mad not had marked down sale
since before the war. said they haI
not heard anything about d decline
in prices.
I The news spread in the trade. how
eyer. and soon dealers. jobbers and
manufacturers began to lombard Mr..
Slater With inquiries as 10 the basis
/ for his assertion. Meanwhile. Mr..
Slater had been iterrosated here by
the Associated Press regarding the
/: correctness OF the statement attribut-
! ed TO him and he declined 70 comment
on it. Whereupon Mr.. Williams. for
ueri: Federal Food administrator
and Fair Price Commissioner. was Wis
| ited, and he confirmed the statement
as sent out by the Associated Press
Ii became known however. that
ed by the form of the announcements
made from the office Of the Fair
pi.icc Commissioner. for instead OF q
general movement such as was in
aicated by the announcement the
oniv plan III contemplation WAS lilni-
tation of profits in New York City:
and oven thas has failed TO be put
into effect. Mr. Williams. however.
stood by The statement as carried by
the Associated Press. He said it was
correct and he would assume full re-
sopnsibility for it.
M. Williams explained that early
this spring the. federal authorities
made an effort to reach an under
standing with New York retailers con-
! corning the profits on footwear. In
his Official capacity as Fair Price
Commissioner. he said. he received on
March % last Il communication from
| Mr.. Slater as president of the New
York Retail Shoe Dealers Association.
! II iO,>
| to a maximum of II to 80 per cent
/ Of retail profits on shoes selling az
/ SO or less per pair. Mr. Williams
!. said he referred the proposal to
United States Attorney Caffey. No
action on it has been taken by the
Department of Justice. Nh Williams
| has since resigned and no successor
| has been appointed. Meanwhile the
retail price of standard shoes in New
York remains as high as ever.
While declining to make any state
mcnl Cor publication in regard to. the
(iiyerSing views Of Mr. Williams and
himself Mr. Slater sent m '.ex3lana-
ton" in letters and kilograms to
! newspapers ;lird members Of the shoe
trade Over. the country, saying that
Mr Williams haG told the reporters
{ that he thought shoes would be
/ cheaper lie denied Re had told this
70 Mr.. Williams. and said that al
though il was tue negotiations were
under way for limitation Of profits he
saw 10 basis for the assertion that
prices would come down.
y Fort Smith. Ark. merchant who
wrote 10 Nh Slater received Il reply
which apparently gave the death blow
70 ,heN expiring hopes. built upon thf
announcement from the Fair Price
commissioners office. that shoes
would be cheaper in New York on
anywhere else Nh. Slater said:
'.:n making my recommendation to
! NJ. N,ill;t:nS about the lna&iinuni
profit 20 'o allowed on non-ttNah!e
footwear told him that the price OF
shoes wosild 40: come down f.N-
pl:4inin" his stand III regard to higher
i priced shoes. he said: