The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-05-04
PRICES OF SHOES
WILL DO WHAT -?
TEMPEST IN SHOE SHOPS is
CAUSED ALL OVER UNITED
STATES BY NEWS ITEM.


Association for limitation of profit
on standard" footwear. that is shoes
selling for $40 or less pair and
which do not carry luxury tax, has
created what might be called "a tenn
pest in shoe shop all over the
United States.
The tempest was caused by lit
tie item wired from New York on
March % to the effect that the fed
feral authorities had announced they
had been informed by John Slater,
president of the local retail dealers
association, that standard" shoes
would be reduced during the spring
and summer. 1t was published IN
many newspapers and pater and ma
ter families with lots of little feet to
be shod, chuckled over the glad good
news at many supper table Inc
item read: =
"New York, March 22.-Prices OF
the standard shoes will be reduced
during the spring and summer, John
Slater, president of the Retail Shoe
Dealers Association, announced to-
day in a communication to Arthur
Williams, federal food administrator;
Retailers at a recent meeting declded
to be content with smaller margin
of profit, Mr.. Slater said. Reduc-
lions. however, will not apply to all
kinds of fancy and ultra-fashlonable
footwear.
'The action of the retail shoe deal
ers. Mr.. Williams said, probably pre-
saged the beginning of a genera!
narrowing of profit margins in other
wearing apparel"
One paper in Arkansas carried the
item with the heading: Heres Hope
for the Weary; Says Price May Come
Down" By many it was regarded as
the first real move toward reduc-
ton in the high cost of living. The
next day or so retail shoe store pa
irons from coast to coast and from
Oshkosh to the gulf visited their IA
vorite dealers to buy the cheaper
footwear. The dealers, many of
whom had not had marked down
sale since before the war, said they
had not heard anything about de-
line in prices.
News Spreads.
The news spread in the trade, how
ever, and soon dealers, jobbers and
manufacturers began to lombard Mr.
Slater with inquiries as to the basis
for his assertion. Meanwhile, Mr..
Slater had been interrogated here by
the Associated Press regarding the
correctness of the statement attribut-
ed to him and de~declined to COM
ment on it. Whereupon Mr.. Will
liams, formerly federal food admin
istrator and fair price commissioner,
was visited and he confirmed the
statement as sent out by the Asso-
ciated Press.
1t became known, however, that
much of the confusion had been caus-
ed by the form of the announcement
made from the office of the fair price
commissioner, for instead of gen
eral movement such as was Indicated
bv the announcement the only plan
in contemplation was limitation of
profits in New York city, and even
that has failed to be put into effect.
Mr.. Williams, however, stood by the
statement as carried by the Associat-
ed Press. He said it was correct and
he would assume full responsibility
for it.
Mr.. Williams explained that early
this spring the federal authorities
made an effort to reach an under
standing with New York retailers
concerning the profits on footwear.
In his official capacity as fair price
commissioner, he said, he received
on March % last a communication
C1ofoY avn &c no
New York Retail Shoe Dealers As
ISOLATION, containing proposal for
limitation to a maximum of Fl to 35
per cent of retail profits on shoes
selling at $40 or less per pair. Mr..
Williams said he referred the pro-
posal to United States Attorney CAT
| fey No action on it has been taken
by the department of justice. Mr..
Williams has since resigned and no
successor has been appointed. Mean
while the retail price of standard
shoes in New York remains as high
as ever.
While declining to make any state
ment for publication in regard to the
diverging views of Mr.. Williams and
himself, Mr.. Slater sent an "explana-
tion" in letters and kilograms to
newspapers and members of the shoe
trade over the country, saying that
Mr.. Williams had told the reporters
that he thought shoes would be
cheaper. He denied he had told this
to Mr. Williams, and said that al
though it was true negotiations were
underway of limitation of profits he
saw no basis for the assertion that
prices would come down.
Merchant Writes.
A Fort Smith, Ark, merchant who
wrote to Mr.. Slater, received re-
ply which apparently gave the death
blow to the expiring hopes, built up
on the announcement from the fair
price commissions office that shoes
would be cheaper in New York or
anywhere else. Mr.. Slater said: "In
making my recommendation to Mr..
Williams about the maximum profit
to be allowed on non-taxable foot
wear l told him that the price of
shoes would not come down." Elk
l, 70 s-oooT~H n biUbp