Evening star., 1922-10-13
BY J. c. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, October 13.-More peo-
pie bought shoes in this country In
the last week than at any time this
year. That buying has been wise
buying. according to experts in the
industry. although in many cases
slight advances over recent price
levels were paid. Indications through
out the entire country point to still
further increases before next spring.
The shoe manufacturing industry in
New England is generally in better
shape than at any time in two years,
according to dispatches today from
Boston. Conditions have readjusted
themselves so that manufacturers are
in better shape to meet competition
we'll supplied with orders. and de-
mand throughout the country seems
to be swinging away slightly from the
very low-priced footwear to the me-
dunn and high priced goods
Statesmen now out with the new
styles are quoting prices to per
cent above those of last year This
does not begin to parallel the ad-
vance in leather. sole and upper
feathers having jumped fully 20 per
cent in recent weeks. Makers believe
that as soon as manufacturers work
off their stocks of leather bought al
the low prices a considerable ad-
vance in the price Of shoes is in
evitable.
Production Mt Capacity.
In the middle west shoe centers
production is being maintained at 100
per cent of plant capacity with indi-
cations that output will be continued
Indefinitely. Prices have been in
creased at least per cent due to
higher cost of raw materials. and ad-
ditional weekly or monthly reVisions
upward are expected. according TO
word from St. Louis. Cincinnati
manufacturers have advanced prices
25 to so cents a pair.
Gross sales of shoes in the north
west are fully 10 per cent above those
of a year ago. st. Paul reported to-
day. Slight advances are forecast in
spring styles because of stiffening
leather costs.
Advances of from so cents to $3.50 a
pair are predicted by Philadelphia
manufacturers. who are running at
100 per cent capacity on womens S
shoes and at 20 per cent on those for
men. On that account. makers are
booking few orders for more than
eight weeks in advance. Makers Of
Glazed kid. heavily used in wOmerSs
sIoeS, nave advanced prices y Genus q
foot.
pittsburgh an Exception.
Buying in the Pittsburgh distric, is
an exception to the general rule.
Sales there have been slow. The in
dustry in Rochester is adding addi-
tional men to the pay rolls and in
creasing output. Prices have advanced
in the last few days BY 10 to S5 cents
a pair in Kansas City. and advances
are expected in the retail stores Of
Los Angeles and the volume of busi-
ness is higher in the Pacific north
west.
Shoes apparently reached their low
price levels some weeks ago, and from
now on, whatever the standing of the
American citizen, the shoes he stands
| :n will cost him more.
Farmers Stay Auto Orders.
The farmers of the country are not
going to buy as many automobiles
this fall as was anticipated. Many
have postponed intended purchases
because of the present prices of farm
PRODUCTS.
Railroad buying continues one Of
the mainstays of the steel and eduip-
ment business. To dat, the carriers
have bought five times as many cars
as in the whole of 1921.
The movement of Alaska and Puget
sound salmon has taken a decided
spurt, and it is now evident that
fully 100000 tons of tomatoes will
go into cans this year, with demand
good and prices fairly steady. Copper
Production, 1t is expected, will be
heavily increased by December l.