PRICE OF LEATHER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 9

PRICE OF LEATHER

:•<> • , FIXED PRICES CTiRE FOR MANY ILLS. The news that consequent upon the rise in tho price of hides in Australia tho cest of a pair of lwols is likely to be increased by 10s. is not the type of cheer-up message that people are tonkin* for in this country. "1 cannot understand such a message,' said one boot manufacturer to a Dominion reporter. "The rise must have been an enormous one if it is going to put Ills, on to a pair of boots on this side of the world, leather lias been "jumpy" for some time -post,' indeed, there has been no time since tho war that the market has been steady, and when America went into tho war there was a further agilatiou, but with the war over ami stocks accumulated by the various governments being unloaded, one would think that, eight months after the armistice, there would lie a steadier tone. Perhaps the demand from Eastern Europo is milking tho prices jump. Tlioso countries must, have been very hard p(islied for leather for t he last three years, and will Want, to build no stocks' as much as their resources will allow them to. AVith half a down nations starved for. leather, it is scarcely to be wondered at that, the price of hides is liifth Jill over tho world, it* only shows that the Common wealth Government has been ill-advised in letting up on I lie. fixed prices. If prices were fixed here, it would solve many troubles."