Norwich bulletin., 1920-05-29
HIGH PIECES NO DETRINENT
 IN T.. S BOOT AND SHOE TRADE

Pri--s of boots and shoes have sp- parently no terrors for the American public. The quantity of material being imported for their manufacture is 1-s times as much as last year. and the sums being paid therefor four times as much. The quantity of hides imported into the United States in the seven months end- ing with January, 1920, says a statement by The National City Bank of New 21o.000,000 in the same months Of last year. and the stated value s241 900 .o0o against S59,oeo,ooo in the same months of last year.
 While not all of this material imported is used in the manufacture of shoes. says the banks statement, the increase in those classes distinctly used for shoe manufacturing is very great. and thls is true also as to prices The quantity of calf skins imported in the seven months ending with January, 1920. is 5o, 900 600 pounds valued at $27.0oo, ,O09, against less than 3.00o.oOe pounds valued at a little over s1.000.o0o in 1919, while the aver age import price in January, 1920 Is 5e.e cents per pound against 1S.4 at the termination of the war, November, 1918. Goat skins, used chiefly in the mapufac- ture of shoes, show a total for the sey- en months ending with January of so,- VVv,UVe pOu4QS dBdlnSI Eo,VVu,VbH Tn the corresponding months of the preceding year, and the price in January 1920, S5.5 cents per pound against 67.s cents | in January, 1913, and 541 cents in the ! month in which the war ended. Dry goat skins actually averaged more than $l per pound in January, 1920. as | against an average of ovet 25 cents per | pound in the year preceding the war. l Hides of cattle. show a total for the seven months ending with January of | 3o9,000,000 pounds against 14o, o,0o0, ,oO0 in 1 the same months of last year and the average price per pound in January, 1920 was 5s.S against 21.4 in January, 1919, and 22.2 in November, 1e14
 This large importation of this class Of material in the fiscal year 1S1s-lsz0 is ] due in part to the peculiar conditions during the closing years of the war. aud 1 especially to the embargo which those nations participating in the war, placed upon the exportation of materials of this has been removed the quantities which can be exported are larger than be- fore. while the demand in the United States. due to shortage of supplies re- sulting from the embargo, Is greater than usual-greater than ever before appar- ently-for the quantity imported Is not i only far larger than ever before. but at prices far higher than ever before. The present indications are that the quan- tity of hides and skins imported in the 1 fiscal year ending June, 1920. will ap- proximate s5o,ooo.poo pounds against the former high record of 7i4,o00.ooo in l l9le, and the value in the vicinity of Stoo,ooo.9oo as aginst the high record of S21s.ooo,eoo in 1917. Apparently the ] quantity of this class of raanufacturine material imported in the fiscal year 1920 will be fully 50 per cent. greater than in the year precedipg the war. and the value nearly 100 per cent. greater than in the pre-war year.
 Not all this increase, however. ap- pertains to or results from the increas. ed demand ip the United States. for a very considerable proportion of our man. ufactures thereof in the seven month. ending with January. 1920 is s1Ss, coo. o00 against ss3,eOo ooc in the sam, months of 1919 and $eT ,eeo, 900 in th, corresponding months of 1913. or thre. times as much in value in the current fiscal year as in either of the two year. immediately preceding. Should the pres ent rate continue, the total exports O leather and leather goods in the flea year endRg With June. 1sfoo, yili ap ' proxinsis f3ee,ees,ooo as agains