Evening star., 1924-05-17
SHOE MEN HAVE HOPE
OF BUSINESS UPLIFT
Feeling Due in Large Measure to
Wage Reductions Inaugurated
at Factories.
REVIEW OF GENERAL TRADE
Pay Cut Not Followed by Reduc-
ton of Prices.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The STAT

Special Dispa tch to The STAT
NEW YORK, May 1.-THE shoe
business, like the leopard, is spotty,
according to men engaged in it. But
they are more hopeful than they
have been for some time of being
able to change the dark spots. This
feeling is due in large measure to
wage reductions at Haverhill and
Lynn. These have tended to improve
manufacturing conditions in New
England, but it is not yet apparent
that they have served to stimulate
sales.
In spite of the betterment at Haver-
hill, another manufacturer there has
thrown up his hands. H. L. Leads
has withdrawn from the Hayerhill
Shoe Manufacturers Association,
claiming that it is impossible to man
ufacture shoes there at profit under
present conditions. Membership in
the association has dropped in the
last year from tiftythree firms to
thirtytwo. On the other hand. at
least one million pair order has been
booked in the last fortnight, and fac
tories of the lucky bidder will be
speeded up to the utmost.
Stocks Carried Not Large.
Shoe stocks in the hands of retail
ers and jobbers are not large. Never
theless, the. distributors in question
seem undeSirous of increasing them
materially. This is due largely to
style complexes. The average retail
dealer turns over his stock COM
pletely about twice a year. The
faster he makes it move as whole.
the more money he makes. The
process is somewhat like that of a
watch. Turning over of the small
wheels of each style and model re-
suits in the slow turning over of the
big wheel of total stock. Merchants
are afraid of the check to total turn
over exercised by a non-moving style
and are stocking lightly in conse-
quence. They seem to prefer TO lose
an occasional sale because they have
not the size or model wanted rather
for which the acute demand has
passed stuck on their shelves.
Prices Not Reduced.
The cut in wages in the New Eng
land factories has not been followed
as yet by decrease in shoe prices.
In the midwest one of the largest
manufacturers made a cut in Febru-
ary and as a result stimulated sales
sufficiently to keep output up nearly
as high as in the spring of 1928. Some
manufacturers hnve increased the
length and scope OF their salesmen's s
trips in the hope of garnering bust
ness checked by the cold weather of
the late spring.
The effect of the turn toward out
door sports which has been big
feature of American national life
since 1918, is already beginning TO
make itself felt in the shoe business.
Sport models are in demand and the
buying of this kind of footwear is
independent OF the demand for the
staple business and dress types.
Warm weather is encouraging sales
of white shoes and of the rubber
so1ed varieties.
Shoe manufacturers are not heavily
stocked with leather. They have
bought leather the same way dealers
bought shoes-from hand to mouth.
If there is distinct improvement in
the sale of shoes, and il seems as
though this might be counted on with
reasonable certainty. the makers viii
have to go to the tanners for large
supplies.
The latter have ample stocks on
hand. but these stocks have improved
decidedly in quality. A good portion
of the heavy stocks of leather piled
up during and just after the war
many of which were not of the high
est grade or quality, has been moved.
Hosiery Sales Well Up.
The sales of hosiery arc keeping up
exceedingly well. especially in the
1uli-IdSIlOneu type OF women STOCK
ings. Factories engaged on these
kinds of goods are the bright spots
in an otherwise unsatisfactory tex
tile situation. The feature of the
trade this spring has been the super
seding of white by the nude shades
and the extension OF the color range
of women's stockings usually kept in
stock. The number of women who
wear silk hose is steadily increasing
in this country. and recently the Jap
anese and Chinese raw silk markets
have been in a condition thoroughly
favorable for American manufactures
AS with shoes. stockings for sports
wear are in tremendous demand for
both men and women. with the light
wool and silk wool materials es-
pecially popular