Evening star., 1928-10-14
Trade Figures May Give Hint of War
Before Diplomats Realize Possibility

2.62s 600 pairs of leather boots. shoes
end suppers worth $685. 900 was inn
ported last year, and the importations
are increasing.
C1echs Lead in Shoes,
C2echoslovakia is the leading country
IN selling shoes to the United States
switzerland Is we'll to the front and
France sells us some of the finer won,
ems footwear. The story of the Czech
enterprise rivals in some degree the
romantic career of Henry Ford in the
automobile industry. Thomas Bata
OF Czechoslovakia is the Henry Ford
OF that comparatively small country
created as result of the World War.
Bsta came to the United States a
dozen years ago and learned the shoe.
manufacturing industry from top to
oot.om he returned to Czechoslovakia
ano started factory, which grew ran
| Idly: He introduced production
methods. BY cutting labor costs he
found sale for his shoes all over the
| world. He keeps close tab upon style
| 1adS in the United States. and some of
me fanclest of women's shoes come
| from his factory.
american shoes are facing his CONNIE
tltion In every foreign market. Bata
/ 5eilS newly in Britain. while his shoes
can be seen in the windows of mer-
chants In Hongkong and most anywhere
Else. One New England shoe manufac-
turcr VINO could not understand why
MS statesmen in the Far East were not
doing batter made a trip out there him
sell ana soon saw Czech shoes were nm
oefselllng him. Bata has system OF
penallzlng the wages OF his IL, 900 work.
men Ii the industry is tagging ard
snarng profits With them If it is
booming
U. S. Sales Slump.
The United States showed a s,,,r,n
last year in the sales Of shoas abrosd
ihe figures were 4965, 900 pairs fboots
snoes, sllppers), worth S11 .603. .0O0 while
In the 1scal year 1927 we sold ala mn
pairs. worth S13337.0 900.
IL may surprise some Americans tha #
we import S146, 400, 900 worth of hides
sno skins IN year when they think or
ene size Of this country and especiallv
us great Western ranch and cattle
country The fact is, however, that thu
OnlCco states produces only little
more man half of the hides and skins
teSueo' we ouy heavily in Argentina,
ous IN every other country. Hardly a
cargo ship arrives here that does mot
iaciude some skins. China and India
1tlrnsh the major number of goatskins
american farmers have proflted only
snghtly by the higher prices paid far
SKINS because usually the farmer sells
ms cattle 'on the hoof" at so much
per pound for meat, so that the butcher
or slaughter house gets the hide. II tn
farmer saughters mis- own cattle n.
often does not get the maximum return
because Of the method, or rather lack
OF method, he uses in handling th7
hides.
Both the Department Of Agriculture
and Department of Commerce now are
helping farmers by giving them expert
advice on the preparation and care OF
hides so as to get the most return
for them. If q farmer throws skin
into corner of the barn and let.
1t remain there without sailing or otha,
effort to preserve Il and then sells II
to hide buyer going through th-
country. o. takes 1t to tannery. h
is penalized bv the damage his neglect
did 10 the skin. Or if the steer cuts
its hide against barbcd wire fence
and it is healed but left bed place
in the skin. that reduces the value oi
the hide when the tanner sees il
Education will correct some of these
sclf-impcsed losses of farmers.
Foreign Control"
incidentally the American tanning in
dustry is at the mercy of foreign con.
trols of essential materials used in tan.
ming leather. The output of quebrachC
in South America Is largely dominated
by British firms; chrome ore. also s
necessity in tanning likewise is British
controlled in South Africa; and Ital!
has strong control of sumsc. thirc
- .pl.el in tanning.
Success of the United States agains
such foreign controls ss those of rub.
: Der End o,linine gives pre- raise ci cl1 eek
ing eyorbitant prices for hMnina ma
terial'. and for njtrst-1 potash anc