The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-05-04
How Many Hides
Does it Take to Buy
a Pair of Shoes?

L 0kk Vi "
The outstanding critic of the shoe
and leather industry has been Sena-
tor Capper, politician, publicist and
publisher, and invariably he prefaces
his charges with the old story of the
farmer who came into town and
gave up twenty-five calf-skins for
a pair of shoes" This charge has
come to the attention of the Boot
and Shoe Recorder, not only once
but repeatedly, and in different
guises. There it's a clipping from
a city newspaper; there it's as an
article in some farmers own weekly
or semi-weekly, agan, it appears as
q letter to the editor"
The continued appearance, especi-
ally in this latter form, of the same
reiterated details not backed by
facts as to time, place and as to the
kind Of skin or shoe, more than
lends credence to the hypothesis that
the whole matter Is a piece Of anti
shoe and leather propaganda con-
trolled from some central point.
We have asked representative men
in the leather industry II this story
could not be refuted once and for
al; If facts might not be martaled
in compact, compelling form to show
that the incident, II true, was q COM
bination of poor selling and worse
buying.
TITS too silly, too .puerile, too
idiotic, to be answered. was the uni
versal reply.
The repeated appearance Of this
story, now apparently stereotyped
and sold as b~oiler-plate, and its lack
Of details as to both skins and shoes,
leads one to believe that it is a vari-
alton on an incident which If ever it
did happen. Is now hoary with age.
First, as to kind.
What kind of skins did the farmer
sell? Shedders, grassers, kips, dea-
cons, ~veal-skins? And were the
calves milk-fed, fodder-fed or grass
fed?
Second, as to curing. Were they
green sailed, dry sailed, or green
that is, unsalted?
What quality Of salt was used?
Was 1t pure salt, or were there
traces of iron? Was 1t salt bought
specially for this purpose, or was II
1ished-o out a. Observation-Disclosures salt!
Third, as to the take-of. How
were the skins taken of? We're
they not badly scored and cut, and
more than likely bl~oodstained and
dirty? Were there not patches Of
flesh left on, causing putrefactior
and therefore spelling the hides?
And last, but not least, how were
the skins sold? BY the pound or by
the piece? That is, with care, ant
with more or less method, or just
"as Isl and where Isl"
And who bought the skins? Wa!
It q junk-dealer, an ~itinerant col
lector, the village slaughterer, or
jobber? What about the reputation
of the buyer?
It's a question If our friend tn,
farmer realizes the long road owe
which his calf-skins have to pass
The normal and simplest rout'
would be by ten stages.
First there's the owner an(
slaughterer, which in tbs case vel
assume to be n and the same per
son. Then follow Cd the >loca
buyer. 60 the travelling buyer, "a
large dealer in hides, 90 a broker
or the tanners own buyer, co. the
tannery, Gu the leather dealer, 81
the shoe manufacturer, co. the
wholesaler, and (1O) the retail mer'
chant. Quite an array. Each one
not in business solely for his health
Yet each n seemingly a necessary
link in the chain which connects the
original producer with the original
consumer.
Now in Russia they don't have
this chan. But look at the leather
sandals the Russians wear. And
look at Russia.
We are afraid that the average
buyer as we'll as the average farmer
does not stop to think, does not even
realize, that the raw material, OF
which leather is only an item, altho,
Of course, the largest item, is prac.
tically thousands of miles from tan
merry or shoe manufacturer or re.
taller or all three.
Another fact which was brought
out is a very pertinent and primary
fact. 1t is that hides are a by-pro-
duct, and being a b%y-product, their
production is not in response for a
demand for shoes or harness OF
gloves or other forms of leather, but
that their production is only in re-
Spouse to a demand for food.
Our friend the farmer, better than
the public in general, should be able
to visualize the truly enormous
'wastage in leather due to Ignorance
and negligence in the taking of, the
sailing and the curing and sailing OF
skins. This is especially true when
the work is done by farmers, ranch
ers and small butchers. This fact is
30 generally acknowledged that cur
rent market quotations on hides and
feathers are listed under two general
heads-"packer hides" and country
hides"
OF course, the incident of being
killed on a farm in Iowa or in a
packing house in Chicago makes nc
difference in the value of the quality
- ar n~ipooI p,i1vnI Dat <horo L. n