Evening star., 1925-08-21
OUTLOOK CHEERING
TO SHOE INDUSTRY
Factories Running at High
Levels and Buyers Freely
Placing Fall Orders.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


HAVERHILL. Mass, August Ell
The Haverhlll shoe industry today is
running at the highest level recorded
in years. Shoe buyers have indicated
their confidence in the prospect for
Fall by placing substantial contracts
for future delivery and many New
England plants now are assured OF
good operating schedules for months
to come. Earnings for the shoe in
dustry promise to be the best in five
years, according TO manufacturers.
Prices for both mems and women's
shoes give no signs of market changes.
They say that while the trade In
leather and shoes has Jagged behind
the general Improvement in business
throughput the country. stocks of raw
products and finished merchandise
which grew to such burdensome pro-
portions after the war have been re-
duced to a minimum. More leather
is going into consumption than is be-
ing produced and the industry is head
ed in the direction of more business
and better profits.
The industry as a whole, however, is
still somewhat overdeveloped, with ca
pacity of plants in excess of normal
demands.
Styles in Women's Footwear.
become more stable and leather
markets are firm, according to j. c.
McKeon, president of the Boot and
Shoe Manufacturers Association.
He indicated that while production In
the first half of this year had been
slightly behind that of the CORE
sponding period OF 1924, he expected
the volume for the full year TO ap-
proximate $4,000, 900 pairs, or above
the 1924 output.
There are no large stocks of shoes
In the hands of either dealers or
makers. he declared, and there are
no price changes in sight, since wage
scales are fixed and material prices
are firm and likely to remain unal-
tered.
1--WE are getting away from the
volume idea" he said. There has
been no multiplicity OF varieties such
as have been put out in some former
years and. in short, the industry is
on a sound basis"
The New England centers are
gradually recovering from serious
depression for which labor disputes
are held responsible. aided by this
stability of styles. There have been
constant clashes over piece rates.
Manufacturers claim that they have
not been able to benefit from i'm
provements in labor saving equip
ment, since organized employees would
not permit corresponding reduction
of piece rates.
Every taxation of the New England
plants. as contrasted with A disposi-
ton to allow remission of taxes for
new plants In other sections, also Is
declared to have been q factor.
Labor cost in making a pair of
shoes in Massachusetts stands at SO
cents, as against SO cents in Missouri.
Sc cents in Maine and SO cents in New
Hampshire. In this city, only the
board of arbitration, not the employ
err, has the right TO discharge shoe
factory employe for poor workman
ship.
Many of the New England factories
make speciality of womens foot
wear, and the constantly changing
styles have necessitated continual
alteration of piecework schedules.
In one New England center, 5000
piece prices were fixed in one year
in making parts for new-styled shoes.
There has been a decided betterment
recently, due to a better understand
ing between employers and employees.
Cites Mistakes by Factories.
Frank c. Rand, president of the
international SnOe To-, winch mas ~
plants in New Hampshire, says that
| makers who tried TO fill their fac
| tories with a lot Of distress orders
during the depression. in order TO
| keep their organizations intact. made
mistake, losing profits and adding
| to pessimism. He declares the pres
ent method Of buying in small guam
titles is not a disadvantage to the
manufacturer.
Formerly the retailer bought shoes
twice a year. he continued. But he
/ is getting away from that practice
| now. The present tendency keeps
everybody in the chain of distribu-
ton in a more liquid condition. Prob
ably "a per cent Of the orders are for
prompt delivery and 20 per cent for
deferred shipment.
The industry in general hopefully
anticipates an expansion Of earnings