The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-04-16

EXPERT FAVORS $l2
AS SHOE MAXIMUM
.NN
Tells Senators War Board Ex-
pected to Set Limit When
HOstilities Ended.
----------------- Iet
MUCH CHEAPER THAN NOW
----------------
Light is Sought ON Omission
Of Palmer to Delve in Prof
iteering In Leather.
MUCH CHEAPER THAN NOW

Special to TIM sun AND NEW YonK HERALD.
WASHINGTON, April 15.---Charges that
the Attorney General in his campaign
against the high cost OF living has
omitted to lock into prices OF shoes and
the excessive profits OF shoe manufac-
turers and dealers were aired to-day
before the Senate Commerce Committee
In the investigation Of the shoes busi-
ness.
The committee examined T. M. Rob-
ertson. an expert OF the Federal Trade
Commission. about shoe costs and prices.
He confirmed statements that some Of
tho leather makers had made profits
around 100 per cent in a single year
and declared them unconscionable and
inexcusable. Asked by Senator McNary
(oregon) II the Trade Commission had
called Mr.. Palmer's attention to the
shoe situation, Mr.. Robertson said he
did not know.
"Over half the country's shoes are
sold direct from the manufacturer TO
tho retailer" said the witness. Elm my
opinion part of the price evil could be
remedied by stamping on every pair Of
shoes the price the retailer paid for
them"
Here is q letter, one among perhaps
q thousand have received" said Sem
ator McNary, ''in which New York
publisher writes me that In December
he paid $26,40 for a pair Of shoes at q
shoe store and In February they were
30 worn that he went to have them re-
paired. They charged him $500 to re-
pair them and added so cents to that
for some other detail. Do you think
that was prohteering?"
II certainly think II was" replied
Mr.. Robertson.
II understand" said Senator Kenyon
(Iowa), Republican. "that the War In
dustries Board had a plan to fix maxi
mum selling price Of $12 on shoes and
that II the. war had continued little
longer II would have been put In effect.
Do you know anything about ~"
II understand such schedule was
prepared and would have been put in
effect shortly"
WAS It expected that the shoes would
be OF inferior quality as compared with
those now selling at much higher
pricesT' =
''It was not so supposed"
"Do you know anything about the
stories that shoes. including American
shoes, were sold cheaper In England
during the war than hereT'
II have seen lists Of shoes and prices
in England indicating that they were
much cheaper there than here"
If, assuming the continuance OF the
war, 1t had been possible at the end of
1913 to put a maximum price Of $12 on
shoes. would 1t not have been possible
to do the same thing despite that the
war ended?"
Judging by 1918 conditions" replied
Mr.. Robertson, II would say that shoes
are now altogether too high, and there is
not even good reason why they should
be so high as In 1913"
speaking Of women's shoes, do the
manufacturers turn OUT the extreme
styles In women's shoes because the
women demand them or do the women
buy them because the manufacturers
turn them out and the retailers show
them"
II have heard endless discussion as to
who originates styles, and my conclusion
is that the manufacturers make and fix
the Btyles."