Norwich bulletin., 1920-04-23

New York, April g2.--Recent action by the New Yokr Retail Shoe Dealers sasso- ciatioti for limitation of profit on stan dard" footwear, that is, shoes selling for $1o or less pair, and which do not carry a idxufy tax, has reated what might be called tempest in a shoe shop" all over the United States.
 ftbs teftpest was caused by little fem wired from New York on March 22 to inc effect that the federal authorities had announced they had been informed by John Slater, president of the local retail dealers association, that stan dara'' shoes would be reduced during the spring and summer. It was publish ed in many newspapers and .pater and mater fan1iiias, with lots of little feet to be shod, chuckled over the glad, good news at many a supper table. The. item read:
 'cNew York, March 22.-Prices of standard shoes will be reduced dur ing the spring and summer. John Slater, president of the Retail Shoe Dealers association, announced to- day in a corfifnunicati0h to Arthur Williams, federal food administrator. Retailers at recent meeting decided to be cUnstnt with smaller mar
 gin of profit, Mir Slater said. Re- auctions. however, will not apply to
 'aii kinds of fancy and tiltra-fashion-
 able footwear
 'dfhe action of the retail shoe deal CTS, Mir. Williams said, probably presaged the beginning of general narrowing of profit margins in other wearing apparel"
 One paper in Arkansas carried llte 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 a reduction in the high cost of living The next day or so retail shoe store patrons from coast to coast and from Oshkosh to the Gulf visited their favorfte dealers to buy the cheaper foot wear. The dealers, many of whom ha6 not had a marked down" sale since be- fore the war, said they had not heard anything about a decline in prices. The news spread in the trade, how ever, and soon dealers. jobbers and man ufacturers began to lombard Mir. S1ate1
 with inquiries as to the basis for his as. sertion. Meanwhile, Mir. Slater had beer
 interrogated here by The Associated statement attributed to him, and he de clined to comment on it. Whereupon MT Williams, formerly federal food admin | tstrator and fair price commissioner, va: visited and he confirmed the statemen ae sent out by The Associated Press. | It became known. however, that nucl | of the confusion had been caused by tn form of the announcement made from tn
 office of the fair price commissioner, fo
 instead of a general movement such a
 was indicated by the announcement tn
 only plan in contemplation was limitation
 of profits in New York city; and eve that has failed to be put into effect MI Williams, however, stood by the state
 ment as carried by The Asspciated Press He said it was correct and he would as surne full responsibility for it.
 MT Williams explained that early thi snring the federal authorities made a effort to reach an understanding wit New York retailers concerning the profit
 on footwear. Tn his official capacity a fair price commissioner, he said, he rt ceived on March 2g last a communicable from MT. Slater as president of the Ne
 York Retail Shoe Dealers associatio containing a proposal for limitation to
 maximum If 21 to 35 per cent. of reta
 profits on shoes selling at s10 or less pt
 pair Mir. Williams said he referred tr proposal to United States Attorne
 Caffey. No action on it has been take
 by the department of justice Mir. wi Hams has since resigned and no successt has been appointed. Meanwhile the r tail price of standard shoes in New Yo1 remains as high as ever.
 While declining to make any statemel