Show I Heres Here's Why Your Shoes Are Higher in Price Than Ever Before Herbert Hirschman Compiles for The Telegram a Series of Reasons Explaining the AdI Advance Ad Ad- I 1 I vance in Shoes and Comprehensively Tells the Prospects for the Immediate I Future I J Prices Expected to Continue to Advance So Long as European War Lasts By HERBERT HIRSCHMAN HE statement of 20 to 30 shoes T THE I for lor women is simply absurd i I under existing conditions or any t condition that can be foreseen toll foX To be sure sure- shoes can be made thue and are in fact now selling in ins s some pi oC or the most extreme styles in in exclusive city shops at these prices and nd have the same relative value that thata xi 3 a gown sown own would have at from to but the great majority are not interested interested inter inter- ested in buying shoes or gowns of that character The public at large are inI in- in i 1 I in the advance in shoes in such Krade ade as they care to purchase Knowledge Knowledge Knowl Knowl- edge edgo is s power Every cause must have its Us effect To state that any article hiss has baS an arbitrary advance without thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- investigating is neither fair nor does it appeal to reason There is s no noc c doubt that as long as the war lasts prices ric s will advance and the way they will advance is going to be regulated entirely by the ability of the tanner to procure leather to supply the de de- de I de-I n mand d. d It is a positive fact that the majority majority ma ma- j rity of lines of present stock of shoes I Iare are retailing at less than the actual I estimated wholesale prices will be when present stocks are sold and In Indeed Indeed indeed In- In deed it is is' very verv fortunate that happily at Rot present the situation is well wen under control and no radical changes In price except in Isolated instances need be be for a few months to come No Big Reserve I A A. few months after the war began i retailers seeing that there was a possible pos pos- sible albie lb e shortage of or leather heavily anticipated antici antici- I antici-I p paLed led their wants and they have in their ir stores and under contract greater amounts of ot shoes than have ever been shocked to to ked in the history of the trade and tJi ur so se shoes are being sold at fair f es but when exhausted the mer- mer will have to go out to replace T ts stock stock and pay the going price itch will of course mean price banes along the line Up io to the thet t I time tim the war started the idea of every ri i was to turn his stock as often otten possible as fp s ible and consequently consequent big reserve re re- re se serve sevc vc stocks were not carried When leather pric prices s started soaring skyward dealers were quick to cover i needs The turnover rule was wasI I f forgotten tc with the idea of having merchandise mer mer- cb chandise at prices people could afford to pay The Important fact In the costs of ot shoes is lost sight of by many At the outset of the Euro Eu- Eu ro roean ean war in 1914 ladles ladles' shoes were being made with patent leather vamps jand cloth tops The height of a shoe was 6 C 5 to 7 Inches American women are acknowledged to Wear the most beautiful shoes in the world and with the advent of ot shorter skirts high top shoes came caine into into favor these tese were made in most wonderful cre- cre of imported colored leathers 1 finest of black kid kd and a bewildering array ary of combinations The height of f patterns increased from 1 13 to 3 inches inches and and ad the shoes were made of all al leather leater and d very ver few fe cloth coth tops except in the I most conservative sorts sors Thus the de- de I dc-I imand mad for fancy fanc leathers lethers at the outset of the te war became bece strong and while I the te first firs season Beon after the manufacturer r 5 f took his orders on the basis bais of the price i at at which he owed owned his leather the following fol fol- fol- fol lowing long season when he was wa obliged to leplace replace his materials the price had ad advanced advanced ad- ad not only on fancy leathers lethers but butI buton 1 I on en all an leathers lethe as an enormous foreign 1 demand as well wel as home caused a scarcity 1 k Reason for Cost To make the situation more mor com corn plex lex the source of supply of all of-all all leathers leath- leath ers rs from forel foreign n countries was practically I shut off Wen When one stops to toj toI j I consider that a ladys lady's high top black I or colored kid shoe takes two or three I times as a much leather as when the vamps were made of kid or patent and 1 t tile the e top of cloth cot it can very readily be seen ren one reason why shoes cost more f and nd the reason reson for a certain shortage r lin m in the te finer grades in the black and colored leathers The question queston is often ofen asked What hat can cn people do who want to buy economical footwear As Ag amater a a. matter of fact an any dealer will sell t A a. a 3 good looking black cloth wi top i s' s button buton or lace boot with eithe eith eith- e er eie a kid or a patent vamp at exactly tho E same price that he would in 1914 l fN lher her words the price of what ha has 1 considered the most stanle com com- lI jy in sho shoes s a and d one which through j a. a of fashion is not as popular a before can be purchased at old C Wees and as long as a. a stocks on hand not W exhausted r this condition will T All classes of heavy or medium medium me- me wi tan leathers such as are used in the manufacture of mens men's army shoes abroad as well wel as many classes of black blackcalf blackcalf cases calf calr and side leather are ae being beig called caled for largely on- on on foreign demand and nd enormous contracts are being placed place by warring nations This in connection connection connection tion with wih a heavy demand from home has ha created a situation In mens men's shoes where advances ranging from In the medium grades to a a. pair In the finer have taken place and in some of ofte the te fancier fancer styles the same rule that governs the advance in the price of women's shoes has ha applied to mens men's In staple mans man's black calf cal shoes or side leather shoes the advance avance Is not so marked as on tans or colors a as a do domestic do- do stocks can cn be largely used and the dye situation does not affect them them Childrens Children's Shoes Cheaper In childrens children's shoes because they take less leather on an average in their manufacture the advance is less marked To be sure If one wishes to buy a white kid or calf top or anything anything any any- thing In the way of an imported leather leath leath- er novelty novely shoe for tor children the price is governed by the market and ad owing to the law of ot supply and demand the price is regulated But let us take tle a good staple childs child's school shoe the 5 to 8 In 1914 this shoe sold at at today's price The 8 83 to 11 1 in 1914 sold at today's price prie 76 The 11 to 2 shoe sold at today's price 25 When one s stops ops to consider consider con con- sider skier that between 60 and and 75 per cent of the leather leather used in this country country comes come from abroad that new uses are being found for it i all al the time ix in the manufacture of the arts in practically everyday necessities such as boots shoes harness saddles trunk coverIng covering covering cover- cover Ing traveling bags purses belts bels furniture furniture furi- furi furni furni- ture upholstering to say nothing of the enormous quantity used in automobiles and leather lether belting beling for transmission of power machinery one wonders why shoes hoes hos have not advanced before Only through the ingenuity of or the American Ameria inventor of ot machinery machiner Un thi ough splendid factory factor organizations where waste of time and material is eliminated and the fact fat that American workmen are more skilled skied and while receiving the highest pay o of any similar similar similar simi simi- lar class clas of workmen in the world and that the average shoe from the time that tat It i enters the ticket room until the time it comes out a finished product passes through more than a a hundred hands and yet the average profit of a run wel-run well run factory factor has been a net of from 1 to 4 per cent As a a. a relief to the shortage of leather comes synthetic compositions This is a secret process of or rubber fabric fabricand fabricand fabricand and chemicals that is taking the place of leather for the soles of certain classes of shoes shoe for big belting used in the transmission of power and vanous varIous various vari van ous other purposes There are various substitutes for leather used in the minor construction of a shoe but they form such a a. small smal part that while hie be being being being be- be ing assuredly equal to leather products they cannot affect the cost of a shoe but a a few cents a pair Increasing Labor Costs Cost There is a great deal eal being s sid said id about all an things advancing but labor I This is scarcely in line Une with the facts In this case It I is to be noted from the dispatches from letters from various vari var- ous manufacturing centers ad and from Information at home that advances to labor have been made and are being made mae for any thinking man realizes that if it conditions are good and luring living costs more labor Jabor is entitled to share In the benefit of the product of Its is handiwork handIwork For example in Rochester New York the general advance in the past paRt two yes years for shoe workers has ha been from 10 to 15 per cent In St. St Louis Luis a 10 per cent advance shortened hours of labor which meant practically a 5 per cent advance and with another advance coming In Cincinnati Cincinnat 0 O 10 to 15 per cent advance Portsmouth 0 O. 20 per cent advance and as long as the war lasts a 10 per cent additional bonus paid pad every four weeks making 30 80 per cent advance avance Numerous Instances could be cited cite from other manufacturing centers centers centers cen cen- but what Is true tre in these cases Is true elsewhere and this also applies In Ina a greater greter or less degree In the tannery tanner the cotton coton worker who makes shoe linings lin un- ings in ings-in in fact fat from the advances in some same of the smaller items of shoe construction con eon It Is evident that both advances advances ad ad- vances In labor and material have taken taleen place Since the advent advent of the war the American people have awakened to the fact that they have been a big importing importing im im- im- im porting nation naton and when we consider that from rom 60 to 75 per cent of all al leathers leath leath- ers suitable for shoes comes from abroad the question queston naturally arises Why lY not produce our leathers at home It I is argued and Justly justy so that we have climatic conditions that will wi enable us to successfully raise rase al almost almost al- al most every kind of animal animal Let us analyze this phase of the situation to those familiar with the cattle industry of this country Cattle Catle Herds Cut Down It I is known know that In the earl early r days large herds of cattle roamed th the co coun n- n try that feed fee was va plentiful and the range was practically unrestricted Gradually the land was taken up by irrigated farms in the West Vest and Southwest Southwest Southwest South South- west and later with dry farms which instead of having having the small acreage of the middle Eastern and Eastern states comprised in the main holdings of from acres up to large tracts owned either b by individuals or by companies thus It i was that the ran range e was restricted re restricted restricted re- re re- re and instead of lar large e herds of cattle catte being owned by a few a gradual gradual gradual grad grad- ual change came about in the industry and those who formerly ran large herds being being deprived of a satisfactory winter range ranee were obliged to cut down Probably one of the most important questions confronting American women today is the price prie of shoes Realizing this The Telegram has Ilas had prepared for its is readers a complete summing up of the shoe situation by Herbert Hirschman who is regarded as a very able expert in this line lne Here is Mr Mr Hirschman's analysis their herds to have holdings holdin s of at land to grow groy their hay so as to winter their stock gO and and this also applied to o the small smal owner of oC cattle One of the leading stock growers gowers in ina a a. convention held in tills this city some few years ago stated the facts in the situation when he said there was wa ac actually actually ac- ac at that time a greater greter danger of cattle catte shortage and the only hope of there being a sufficient supply to meet meeta a part of the demand was the fact that pretty much all al of the small smal farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers and ranchers were raising rising a a few head hed of cattle catte and that In numbers of them tem doing this there was hope that the shortage could be materially helped Small Smal Cattle Catle Increase The United States census reports and have Interesting figures some very ver facts in connection with the cattle catte supply supply supply sup sup- ply of this c country and It can cn be clearly shown that while the population population tion cearlY of the United States has been ton showing a steady Increase yet the catte cattie cattle cat cat- tie tle te supply had been showing a very small rate of Increase At the outbreak of at the war every ever Indication pointed that at the next census there would be although slight yet et a visible increase in the cattle catte supply due to the reasons stated The Glazed Kid Situation The situation In glazed lazed kid is complicated com corn by the critical condition of the raw stock market The morocco manufacturers during the war period period have be been n able to obtain large quantities quantities ties tes of skins Prices have ruled I ab abnormally abnormally ab- ab normally high and It I has been necessary necessary necessary sary to demand more money for the finished leather The largest tanners I of or goat skins have buying connections all al over the world orld and despite the I many complications Induced by the I I war have nae contrived to keep the raw material situation well wen in hand except that that as I have said prices were higher It was inevitable however that this condition could not continue and today the morocco manufacturers are experiencing experiencing great difficulty in getting supplies supplies sup sup- plies ples of skins at any price Brazilian and other South American Amerian skins are scarce because of the demand for tor them from tanners who formerly tanned skins originating in countries now In Inthe inthe inthe the war zone The competition Is so keen leen that prices have reached an al almost almost almost al- al most prohibitive point The supply of skins is short and buyers' buyers wants cannot cannot can can- not be supplied on any terms Within a few days some kinds of skins have advanced to about four times the normal normal normal nor nor- mal rates It I is Impossible for morocco manufacturers manu mani- to quote prices for glazed kid for future delivery delvery They are unable to form torm any Idea of the position the raw material market may assume in inthe inthe inthe the future Under these circumstances the only way In which orders orden for f fu future future fu- fu u ture delivery delvery can be accepted with wih safety Is to book hook the contracts with wih the understanding that the market prices at the dates of delivery delvery must be paid b by the purchaser No Change in 1917 In a letter leter of December 8 from one of the best posted authorities In the shoe trade who had just return returned d from the market marlet I quote i in ide part |