Evening star., 1943-06-13

Wulle SHOES Ia popular sizes were
scarce and shoe store clerks were
exhausted last night at the end of
the third day of -hysterical
buying by customers anxious to cash
their No. II shoe coupon before its
expiration Tuesday night. No. 10
becomes valid Wednesday and re-
mains so through the four-and-
one-half months until October 81.
I'VE don't know where the cou-
pons are coming from" said the
manager of an F street store. He
said the buying had been like
Easter every day. since shoes were
rationed in February, but that he
had never seen anything like the
rush that started Thursday night
and has continued during the last
two Gays. All the stores expect the
same throngs of customers tomor-
row and Tuesday.
They don't care what they take
or how long they have to wait he
said. The customers just don't
want to lose that coupon. It's a
headache
White Shoes Low.
Some stores have been out OF
white shoes in popular sizes since
Friday morning. Several more
Joined the "no-popular-white' class
last night.
I'VE might just as we'll say we
have no white said a salesman in
the Hanover store. We've got only
small sizes that nobody can wear"
The men crowded into his store
Just as the women crowded into
other stores down the street. he
said.
The shortage of white shoes was
reported by the Associated Press
to be general throughout the coun-
try. Herbert j. Rich. ST., manager
of the Rich's Shoe Store, was one
of the few managers here who said
he could count on at least one mere
shipment of white shoes this month.
And those were ordered in Oc-
tober," he added
Store to Open Later.
Starting tomorrow. he will open
his store at 10 m. instead of $50
Am. so his clerks can stretch shoes
and do the other odd jobs they have
had no time to handle during the
last week, Mr.. Rich joined with sew
eral other managers interviewed
yesterday in giving elimination of
production of tan and white shoes
as one of the main reasons for the
present shortage of white shoes.
Managers knew customers never
had liked all-white shoes as we'll
as tan or black and white. he said
For that reason they had increased
their orders of the all-White shoes.
but not up to the overall total of
summer shoes they sold last year.
Instead of being decreased by ra-
tioning. he said. the demand for
summer shoes seemed to have in
creased.
Most stores by yesterday afternoon
had adopted some method to handle
the rush of customers. Some locked
the doors and admitted customers
only as others left the store Some
used the number system and issued
tags to buyers in the order of their
appearance inside.
Customers Given Numbers.
At one store No. 2l0 was just be-
ing issued. for example, as No. 176
was being waited on. Women waited
two and a half to three hours in
some of the smaller stores and at
least As minutes in all stores yes
terday before even getting near a
salesman to ask him questions. One
store tried to weed out customers
by insisting on seeing ration books.
Several stationed man just inside
the door to tell customers immedi-
ately if their sizes were still in stock.
Clerks remained comparatively
calm through the rush, exploding
only occasionally at customers un-
able to understand the lack of
choice in white shoes. The man
ager of the Crosley Shoe Store
looked about at the jam and said,
We're only resting today. You
should have seen us Thursday
night"
Many Returns Expected.
Stores expected many attempts