PRICE OF FOOTWEAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1573, 6 July 1916, Page 4

PRICE OF FOOTWEAR.

BRITISH FIRM’S OPINION.

The Christchurch representative of a leading British firm of boot and shoe manufacturers have received the following letter from their principals: — “You ask us as to prices after the war. It is impossible to say. For the prices being maintained, if not increased, the arguments are; The world’s stock of boots and other leather goods at the present time is exceedingly short, our own retailers being very short of stock. The world’s stocks of upper leather, such as box calf and glace kid, are depleted; the pelts have either been tanned and used for other purposes or are not available, and the consequent demand by the manufacturers, who will have been released from army work, will be very great for these lines. The same applies to sole leather materials. Accoutrements are taking millions of hides that were ordinarily used for ladies’ and men’s walking boots, and it will take a long period for the tanners to catch up with the demand. The Central Empires have no leather except from home-slaughtered beasts, which must bo rapidly diminishing. They will come into the market again for hides, of which they previously took immense numbers. These are arguments for lower prices, but on the whole 1 should say that for a period of one or two years as high or higher prices will rule for ordinary footwear.”