The St. Joseph observer., 1920-11-13

Wear but this item and all other sub
| sequent overhead expenses are fin
ally met by the consumers, plus
very substantial profit, when shoes
are purchased at a sum ranging from
So to SIS a pair. The high rents
retailers pay for their places of busf-
ness anu their homes; reasonable liv-
| ing wages to clerks, bookkcepcrs and
| other employees; outlays for ncwspa-
per advertising and other publicity;
| cost Of light, heat, insurance; dona-
| tions to charities and all other mis-
/ ccllaucous necessary items; interest
and discounts of banks on borrowed
| capital; one or two fashionable
limousines and, finally. liberal
| profit; above all business and per-
sonal disbursements, to accumulate
and draw interest in bank for old age
and "othor rainy seasons" when add
ed to $41O the average first st. Louis
wholesale selling value Of shoes raises
! the retail average to $10.2j a pair.
The Share of the Wage Farmer
while S2O,693,O1S was paid in 1919
! by Missouri shoe factories TO their
| 1850 salaried and wage earning
employees as compared to $9,97S,GIO
| distributed i'm 1914 to 1902 toilcrs,
high and low in social rank. the av-
crage earning per individual during
the twelve months Of 1919 was only
| 51,O5G. In 1914 the earnings per
capita were $5S5. The average in
crease in yearly earnings in five years
was S471 for each worker or sos per
cent.
In rcflccting over these increases
in earnings of shoe workers. 1919
over 1914, it must not be forgotten
| that the large real increases and an
nual salaries of presidents and other
| high paid corporation officials and of
the large army Of travelling statesmen,
helped materially to swell not alone
the annual earnings for both years OF
wage earncrs, but, also, the visible per
capita increase in salaries and wages,
1919 over 1914, for all employees.
Earnings of Manufacturers, 1919 Over
1914
The 1919 disbursements by Missouri
boot and shoe manufacturers, for
rent, taxes and insurance, reached the
high total of $5,O22,S19 on the selling
valuation of $142.3S2.215 nearly 353
per cent, as compared to s2S2,19G for
the year 1914 on boots, shoes and
other footwear which had a total
first wholesale selling value Of $52,-
1OG,OO3 or little over half of one
per cent.
In 1919 there was paid out by Mis-
souri, boot. and shoe factories a total
OF 9,549,147 for leather and all sim
liar materials and supplies, this dis
bursement representing over SO per
cent Of the total first wholesale sell
ing value Of s1I2,382,215 of boots and
shoes made in Missouri that year.
In 1914 the leather and other ma
terals and supplies which went to
make boots and shoes with the whole
sale value Of s52,522,O ,OOG cost the
manufacturers $3I131,37S, or nearly
7O.7 per cent of the first wholesale
selling value,
Missouri boots and shoes manufac-
turers in 1919 disbursed $9,447,222
Tor miscellaneous purposes, including
the travelling expenses Of salesmcn
and similar salaried employees, news
paper advertising and other publicity
for all other purposes, not already
enumerated. This disbursement rep
resented &c per cent Of the total sell
ing value of all boots and shoes made
in Missouri that year,
In 1914 the miscellaneous disburse-
ments of Missouri boot aud shoe man
ufacturers totaIed s2,1O5,44O, or 4 per
cent Of the wholesale selling value Of
all footwear made in the state that
year.
Earnings, 1919, ExcCI These Of 1874
The 1919 total disbursement Of all
Missouri footwear manufacturers
reached S3lA612,2O6 ana when this
sum is subtractcd from the total first
wholesale selling worth Of the same,
sl42,3S2,215, it left $I77O,OO9 for
earnings, dividends and other pur-
poses, or nearly SAG per cent Of the
total selling value or l77i per cent
earnings on a total invested capital
Of $43,792,SS5.
In 1914 the total disbursement Of
all Missouri shoe factories for all pur-
poses reached $49,49s,624 and this
sum subtracted from the total first
wholesale selling value Of all foot
wear made that year, S52,522, ,OO6, left
$4,O23,3S2, or nearly ell per cent of
the total selling value or nearly lOs
per cent on the total invested capital,