| Show I I Shoemakers Facing Famine in ini I II r i I Material for Manufacturing j I t I Enormous Demand for Material Abroad and Shortage Short Short- age Ige of Leather feather Supply Causing a Situation Which I Will Make Certain Grades of Footwear More ore Expensive Ex Ex- Ex- Ex J pensive Says Local Dealer J BY HERBERT HIRSHMAN While V nt at the moment there Is no need cd of serIous concern over the them NIce or of hoes the future futuro holds forth bu but m little hols hope of ipe anything other than a there T rapidly ni advancing ad market In tact fact Is s an absolute te scarcity of or ma ma- tonal an and some sonic kinds are Ire endrel entirely out ot of the market that thal so the question toda today to- to da day queston which manufacturers of ot shoes hOC face tace Is not one ot of but ability to cure the tc procure procure pro pro- leather nt at all ni The only favorable feature ro of ot the nation i Is that neVer In ln the history of ot the tha trade d hi ha s there been such UCh lar large c stocks or oC shoes on hand hanl with the big m ts throughout the the- wih I country b but on the other 1 VCr hand reports stat the or of f the thc general merchant In the thenor nor normal maIler and towns this 1 Is enormous If It anything anything drain below when the buln buying season starts Is going to make a hl high h market sUit still hl higher hel b because be- be cause fi no not only are re manufacturers to supply a bi big biK demand at but the H nt peace nations must mURt look as well wel to this as countr country all al nations as being in Jiho tho only available surce source of oC a pi ply 11 sup sup- pr er cent of r the Population ot of tho o United States live e 1 In cities of or or le less and aMa from front this statement It I Cr v 1 r r be sec that I halt ft nir rull eel with wih over o er of ot the thc f country countr cl city And wIth stocks stock below normal that en eVen f with wih a fair Calr demand and In the of oC a d depleted market It I Is going to be a situation sit sit- si- si so serious that If Ir thero there Is not an nn actual leather famine substitute In lit the tho wa way or of cloth tops and other mate mate- ii rial rials will wil have ha e to bo used The question Queston naturally arises wh why should there bo be a n shortage shortt-ge of leather The he I lie American people have hn e given Riven themselves them them- selves elve little thou thought ht regarding ln where they hey secured their products The They have ha e alwa worn th the best shoes In tho the world The Thc American merican woman Is known tho the world over O as a wearing the most wonderful shoes shoe because designing nn and manufacturing sho shoes R In America has come to the point where true artistry finds expression and oven o en before the war var our shoes were exported to all principal cities cites of th the world an and while ni Paris had the sa say In regard to dress C fashions America has always alwn's led In shoe fashions lel Men Ien too are d demanding hotter better boter foot foot- Wear vear and in many fanc fancy l styles ee while the demand for nO el novelty footwear for tor children Is I. I on nfl a parl parity with that for tor women all al of ot which means mean demand for Cor or imported leathers i In a market alred already tripped strIpped bare of same An n Importing Nation Since the advent ad of the war the American people have awakened to the thc tact fact act that they the have ha been beon a big Import Import- In Lag npr nation of ot raw materials that enter Into nto shoe construction and when we that from 60 to 76 75 per cent of ot 11 1 leathers sui suitable tuLle for Cor shoes comes from rom abroad the question naturally queston irises wh why Hot not produce our leathers at nt home homo t It I Is argued and ju Justly t. t so that we l tl c climatic I conditions that th t ld tr will en- en n V v DU Ille l ocr very kind of oC animal Let Lct r us analyze ze his rha phase of oC the tho situation To those ar with wih the cattle catte industry of this Ibis it is known that In the early ays lar large largs C herds of or cattle catle roamed earl the country that feel feed tee was plentiful and ani the theano ano o was wal p practically met I call y ii unrestricted n res tr I c to d. d Gradually the land was taken up by Ir- Ir fars farms in the west and ut Fouth- Fouth fouth- fouth west vest cst and later with wih dr dry farms arms which Int Instead d of If having the small smal acreage of ot the tie middle eastern and eastern states In the tho main holdings of ot from rom acres up to large tracts owne owned oither r b by In Individuals or b by companies Thus It was vas that the thc ran range c was vas restricted restricted re- re and Instead of ot large herds herd of ot cattle attle catle being owned b by a few a n gradual change e came about in tho tue Industry and those hose who formerly ran large her herds s being deprived of rf a satisfactory winter range were obliged to cut down their herds to have havo land on which to grow their hn hay so O ns as to lo winter their stock This his also apple applied to the small smal owner of f cattle catte Ono One of ot the leading in Ina a convention held In this thle city cl some few Cew years Cars ears aJO ago aio stated the facts fact when he said aid there was Wf actually at that time a greater dan danger er of cattle Catle shortage e and the lie only of there being a sul- sul cleat cent supply to moet n a part of tho demand dc- dc lemand mand land was the fact that that small smal farmers farmel armors and anc nd ranchers ranches wore raising a a. n few ow head of f cattle a and 11 th tint that t in numbers number there thero thereas was as hoe bone that hat the tho shortage could coul be materially helped The Th United States census reports have some vcr very cry Interesting figures antI and acts facts In connection with wih the cattle catte supply sup sup- ply ph ly and it can cnn b bo be dearl clearly shown shon that biLe the tho population o of the United tales States has hal been loen steadily Increasing the thc cattle supply had Iad been heen showing aver Ctt a very sma small mall J ra rate te of At the thc outbreak outbreak of the thc European war very e Indication pointed that nl at ft the next ext census there would be an Increase In n th the cattle catte supply Cost Cont of oC Manufacture It I takes from rom two to tinier times ns as much leather leather to make a pair of ladles ladies hues o aa as It did at th the outset of tho the flu iu- rop nn war In 1911 At that time ladles ladies shoes shoe were ere being made with wih patent l tl t leather r vamps and cloth tops The Tho height of a shoe shoo was six lx and one half to seven Inches With lh the tho advent ent one hal of or shorter skirts high top shoes came caine Into favor tavor Then it I was that the American women be began an to realize that wonder wonder- ful tul UI creations could be made In footwear foot foot- not not- wear and while the they hart had hac alwa always worn X od od style there came a demand for Cor imported colored leathers the he finest of black blac kid and anc a bewildering array of combinations Tho Th height of patterns Increased 1 from ono one and half one to three thre Inched and aTTl the tho shoes ono w wern ro mao made of or all al INi leather ther and er very few loth t-loth tops tops except in 11 the thc most conser conservative conservative- sorts sort Thus hu the demand for fancy leat leathers t j at the outset of or tho the war 1 became stron strong and where where before botor the tho advent ad of or the thear war wu ar the I leading manufacturer r of oC colored col col- ored leathers had been spending his his money freely reel In an advertising ad campaign campaign cam cam- to popularize them ho he found foun himself unable to tu supply o mand and anI while the thc first season teason after the thc war the shoe manufacturer took toot his or or- dora ders rs the basis of or tho the c on price at t which ho h owned his leather the thc following season Bf-ason when whoa ho was obliged ed to replace his materials the price had advanced z not on only I on fancy leathers mu but on all 01 leathers Quoting from front the Shoo Shoe and Leather Reporter November 2 23 1916 regarding tho the glazed kid situation Tho The situa situation slun- slun tion ton In glazed glared kid Is complicated h by the critical condition of the tho raw law market markut market Tho rho morocco ran manufacturers luring during tho the war period hn have been able to obtain i largo hugo quantities o of skins Prices have ha e ruled abnormal abnormally high and It has boon been necessary to demand moro more mort mone money for forthe or orthe the finished leather Tho lar largest est tanners tanners tan tan- ners nets of goatskin have ha e bU buying rn tonA all al over O the world and despite the many maity complications In Induced by thc the war var have contrived contrive to keep the raw material mate mato- rial situation well wel In hand except that as ai asO wo vo have hac said prices were cre hl higher hel It was Inevitable however howe that this condition could not continue and toda today the morocco manufacturers aro are experiencing groat Nat difficulty In getting supplies of or skins at an any price Brazilian Bra zlan and other South American skins are arc scarce because of the demand demond for fOl them from tanners tanner who former formerly tanned skins skin in countries now In the war zone Tho The competition Is so o keen that prices have reached an nn almo almost t prohibitive point Tho The supply of skins j is I short shor and buyers buyers' wants cannot be supplied on any am terms Within a few days some kl kinds ds of ot skins have ad advanced advanced ad- ad to about four times tho the normal rates It I Is Impossible for morocco manufacturers manufacturer manufacturers manu manu- to quote prices for tor glazed kid f for or future delivery The Thc They are unable to form any idea ren of ot the position the raw material market may assume In the tho future circumstances the tho only way In which orders for or future r ceJ dell ery can be accepted Is to hook book the contracts with the understanding that thal I tho he market prices at the dates of delivery de de- de 1 livery ivery lver must be paid by the purchaser I n tu Notice o l h. h u. u I I x inis statement inn ino 1010 ing notice is 15 stamped upon all ni bills bis sent out b by one of ot th the th leading glazed kid manufacturers This order is entered upon condition condition condi condi- tion ton that shipments will 11 be bo made when and 11 If It possible An Any uncompleted uncompleted balanco balance at an any time Is subject subject subject sub sub- to change of ot price such change to be confirmed b by purchaser be before before be- be fore 1010 further shipments will wil be bo made mado In a letter of ot December 8 S from one of the best cst posted authorities In tho the shoe trado trade wao had Just returned from market marlet 1 I quote In part us as rs s 1010 I 1 talked to man many bl big operators when I 1 was cast east both in I too shoe manu manufacturing tu turing ri a g a and ad leat leather leathel h e i manufacturing ma nu act un a g lines and th there re were all al sorts Eons oi ot tile the theories tl ones ories bUL but most must of them fink that there hero th ro cannot Ilo possibly be bo an any change during 17 towards a lower price level 10 1 Some ome of ot them theta In iii tact act have tho the theol theory that if 1 the war should end there thoro would be bo only a very er temporary reaction a aa as th they y the tue central arc ale at ab- ab stripped bare are ot all ni classes of ot leather leathor and it will wil ili take man many millions oi or dollars dollars' worth of or material to bring stocks to tu anywhere near a working basis AS far tar as scarcity of ot leather lether is concerned concerned con con- cernel I 1 would sa say that in m my opinIon opinion ion the Philadelphia glazed kid market markot alone Is between two tuo hundred and Ul and ant huntr hundred d thousand dozen en o en short oi ol the normal SUP supply II on hand Iland aa as l Rome nome of ot these big operators car carry nom ironi tt tiny lifty to seventy Live u se thousand dozen on the floor and i J doubt very much If you OU could find Ulal a hundred dozen of nn any one grade in n stock in an any glazed kid leid manu manu- in In lii 11 a letter leter ono uric oi ox tho best posted menon mon men monon monon on finance and leather loather has this title to toay toen en cay ay Conditions now hOW are In striking contrast to conditions Immediately l lowing the tho te beginning uC of the tho war var then there was waa u n considerable reaction in I trade merchants as well veil wol as aj manufacturers were varo at sea as to how to view OW the tho situation No o striking advances aO ances In leather at that time were mado madu madu or anticipated an an- for work hi the thc country was wae not plentiful and tock stocks on oil 01 hand wore yero plenty for Cor pre present nt ne needs ds I About August 1916 1915 conditions began bugan to improve e and ad tor foreign ign governments gO came cameto to the market markot purchased largo quantities quan quan- titles of or raw material and lured products boots shoes hoes saddles s harnesses and other othur leather goods This had a u tendency to strengthen alu values s l that that the tue transportation of oC hides and ana oIlier oller materials which enter nt r i into the making o oi of shoes became a Bellous se- se ilous zious problem made mor more by bythe bythe the scarcity of ships and a it consequent advance In ocean rates and unu war In ur- ur ance Many lany of ot tho thu best boats were Interned b by reason realon ot of international law Ia still aUl other owners or of boats of ot I large Iare owing to tho the war var risks retus refused d to send them on tho the waters consequently the tho majority of or vessels In 1 use are of or small email tonnage and being tow few fewIn CewIn In number a and 11 much snuck In demand they command for the tho the reason stated a a very high freight rate As At late lato aa as August kid stocks which were most in demand for or ladles ladies anti ami mon moni shoes could coull bo bt bought at ut I from trout 2 22 to 24 per coat cent a a foot fooL Ad Advances dunce I- I vances continued to take place duo duoto duoto to the thc fact tact that leather was as becoming scarcer and scarcer and by 1016 this same saro leather had reached about 40 cents per foot toot Since then owing to existing conditions many oi ot these materials are aro not replaceable at atthe atthe the thc present time at less leas than 60 61 C cents cent to 6 Gi cents per 1101 foot and every Indication Indica Indica- lion tion ton pubIs polut to select black kid kil going 10 lo a dollar while whilo and colored kids In selected elected grades are aro quoted at I 1 5 now The manufacturer Is confronted confronted con con- fronted with wih a a condition not of price toda today but ability to obtain materials at nil all al Toda Today possibly from rota 50 u to 75 15 p per r cent cont of the leather we are tanning is It being taken by the foreign governments at prices in excess of oC art an any which have havo o hn ever aver l prevailed re In the tho history his bin hll- hll tor tory of ot the thc leather business While tho the advances ad In cotton coton goods for tor linings have havo not been quite so h heavy a a as thc they ha have havo been in leather still these also alfeo alto aro arc advancing I.- I. aroll nr ar Well oll el posted authorities agree that whether the tho war had bad come or not there would have been Leen some como Increase In the thc theco co Cost com t of oC shoes because there has he been beena 1 a u bl big Increase in In hi population and hU huge e ed d development of or our foreign business There Thero has has not been a proportionate In Increase |
