The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-04-23
CHEAPER SHOES"
 STORY CAUSES MUCH COhMIOTION

fg shoes selling for $l0 or less a par and which do not carry luxury tax, has created what might be called "a tempest in a shoe shop all over the United States. The tempest was caused by a little item wired from New York on March g, to the effect that the federal au- thor1ties had announced they had been informed by John Slater, president of the local retail dealers association that '-s&andard'' shoes would be re- duced during the Spring and Summer. It was published in many newspapers and batter and mater famiifas, with led over the glad, good news at many a supper t2b4e- The iteTn read:
 New York, March 22-Prices of standard shoes will be reduced dur ing the spring and summer, John S1a- ter. presfdent-of the Retail Shoe Deal erg Association, announced today, in z communication to Arthur Williams, Federal food administration. Retail CTS at a recent meeting decided to be content with a smaller margin of profit, ME Slater said Reductions, however, will not apply to all kinds of fancy and uftra-faShionable foot wear fa
 The action Of the retan. shoe deal CTS, MT Williams said, probably pre- seEed the beginning of a general nzrrowing of profit margins in other wearing apparel"
 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 fHt real move toward a reduc- ton in, the high cost of living The next day or so retail shoe store pa tcpRs from coast to coast and from QSzaE7osh to the Gulf visited their fla VUHkne dealers to buy the cheaper footwear The dealers many of whom. had not had marked down saAe, since before the war, said they had not heard anything about a de cline in prices.
 The news spread in the trade,~how- ever, and soon dealers, jobbers and n1snufacturers began to boz1bard MT Slater with inquiries as 10 the basis for his assertion. Meanwhile, MT Slater had been interrogated here by the Associated Press regarding the correctness of the statement attribut- ed to him and he declined to comment on it Whereupon MT. Williams, for rnerIy Federal Food Administrator and Fair. Price Commissioner, was visited. and he confirmed the state ment as sent out by the Associated Press
 It became known, however, that much of the confusion had been caused by the form of the announce ment rpadelfrozn the office of the Fair Price Commissioners for instead of general movement such as was indi- Ca4ed by the announcement the only plan in contemplation was limitation Of profits in New York city and even hat has failed to be put into effect MT Williams however stood by the statement as carried by the Associa t ed Press. He said it was correct and he would assume full responsibility for it
 MT Williams explained that early athis spring the Federal authorities made an effort to reach an under standing with New York retailers coDcern1ng the profits on footwear. In his official capacity as Fair Price Commissioner he said he received on March 22 last a communication from MT Slater as president of the New York Refa5l Shoe Dealers Associa- . tion- contributing a proposal for linn 3 itstiDn to maximum of 21 to 35 per cent of retail profits on shoes selling at $73 or less per pair MT. Will liazns said he referred the proposal to United Srates Attorney Caffey. Nc action on ii has been taken by the Department of Justice MT 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 z1ecHTn7Fag to make any state TnxzEzt for publication in regard to the afxerg1ng views of MT Williams ana himself, MT Slater sent an -Hexplana- t111'' in letters and teIegrams tr
 
 trzd7e over the country saying tha- ME- Williams had told the reporter. tfaat he thought shoes would bt c7eeaper- He denied he had told tfai. to MT Wi1IRanas. and, said that al. though it 1EaS trae negotiations wer, umGer way fur limitation of profits ht sHw mo basis for the assertion tha prices rzT0auad come down
 A Fort Suaff9l, Ark, merchant win, wrote to MT Slater received a re ply which apparently gave the deatl blSpw to the expiring hopes, built up on f31e announcenaez1t from the Fai Price ConauEsszOaer.s office tha shoes would be cheaper in New Yorl CT anywhere else Mir Slater said --am making my recommendations t Mr. Williams about T31e naxffnun profit to be allowed on non-taxabl footwear told him f1rat the price 0 shoes waOufM not come down Ex planning his stand in regard to high er-prSee6 shoes. he said
 I'm my arguments with the govern n2ent I take the stand that the ex else or fnxury tax placed on shoes O S70 or oyer. takes tTenn-out of tn necessary lneeeaSfty3 class unde which the Lever Act operates Tn Lever Act specifically states tha there must be no excessive profits O the neeeSazraes of fife such as feet food. shoes and clothing. and give them the right to regulate this prof it."
 A Springfield, Ohio, firm whic wanted to know who was respons bic. Mr. Slater OF Mr. Williams, fc the demands for cheaper shoes wit which dealers were being bombarde wrote a letter to the Associated Pres in which it made this comment:
 '<It is such misleading Reports wflic are causing 90 percent of the dfscor tent among the buying public. Tn does not apply exclusively to the she business but to other lines of mel chandising, The public believes tts .aIJ TaerefaF7fs are F=0fftea4s Ra