The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-13
NO REDUCTION IN
 PRICE OF SHOES THIS FALL, STATES WILLS.
Shoe Salesman Tells If Shoe and Leather Conditions and Discount Weakness
 of Leather Market

That there is but little prospect of reduction in the price of shoes at pres ent is the opinion of Walter B. Mills, the George D. Witt Shoe Company of Lynchburg, Va, on his return from the factory, where he attended board meeting the past week.
 The conditions had been very ex- aggerated in a great many cases" sai l Mir Mills. 'Tt is true that there 1s considerable weakness in the leather market of both raw and finished prod ucts This decline has been brought about by several reasons.
 First, on account of the present money conditions throughout the country. The reserve banks have been advancing their rates. which makes tight money and has caused enforced liquidation of stocks.
 Second, disturbed and congested transportation conditions which have been very acute for the past thirty or sixty days, and it is variously esti- mated that there is more than billion dollars of freight tied up on account of this condition.
 Third, the unreasonable weather, which has existed in the larger part of the country since March 1, which has resulted in the retail dealers throw ing their seasonable merchandise or the market at cut prices.
 Another condition that enters into the apparent reduction of shoes ana shoe leather, is that the eastern ano northern buyers for large department stores as well as retail shoe dealers in the larger cities, have stayed out Of the markets and have not placed their requirements for fall as yet, but will necessarily be forced to place their or der for the coming season within the next thirty or sixty days in order to get d<iveries for the coming season.
 "It is true that my house has adopt ed the policy of reducing all orders booked for fall from 15 cents a pair up to as high as $1 a pair on all orders now on file, and where goods were shipped in May they are sending cred it memorandum to cover the reduc- tion as per the leather conditions as existed on June 1.
 This policy seems to have beer adopted by other large manufacturers throughout the country. But, on the other. hand, should the large buyers rush into the market in July and Au gust buying up the surplus. which will be necessary for them to do in order to supply the demand they are again going to force the market up, and in 2 great many cases we are going to see higher shoes on account of this con dition.
 "It Is generally hoped that we ara going to have a much steadier market but with the shortage of high priced labor and the exceedingly high price of every material that goes into th' construction of shoes, there'is but little l prospect of very much cheaper shoes | for the present.
 My people had advised during al 1 of the past season that merchants | should not buy more than 60 per cent l of their usual requirements. By pur- | suing this course, the manufacturers | would help to cope with the conditions | and bring about a more stable market | It is hoped that the public will not l be misled with regards to the price ot l fall shoes, as the bottom has not 1 dropped out of the market, but in som' | cases especially on good sole leather | the market is very firm, as there are | increased demands for better grades ot ! shoes and the people are willing to pa, l the price for this class of merchandise l There are some grades of shoe es | that were figured too high in the be | ginning as the market in January ant l February was very strong, and order: | booked at this time were possibly | booked at the highest point in the pas I two years, and the people themselve: l are largely responsible for the extraor
 dinary demand for high grade shoes"