February i, igog.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



181 



Trade Conditions in Rubber Footwear. 



TllE United Stales consul general at Smyrna devotes a recent 

 official report to the rubber shoe trade in Inrkey, with the 

 conclusion that the American share in this trade might 

 be augmented. He estimates the present imports of rubber foot- 

 wear at the port of Smyrna at $97,ocx3 a year, the United States 

 contributing 40 per cent. ; Austria, 35 per cent. ; Russia, 15 per 

 cent., and England and Germany each 5 per cent. He writes 

 that the rubber shoe trade in Turkey "should not be treated as 

 an emergency outlet in case of dull trade at home. Now is the 

 time to secure this trade and hold it. While the trade may be 

 small in the beginning, yet there are many millions of people 

 living in .iVsia Minor who are rapidly realizing the benefits of all 

 articles of modern dress, and during four months of the climate 

 rubber shoes are indispensable articles." The chief competitor 

 with the American rubber shoe, says the consul general, "will be 

 the Russian shoe, which is of good quality and brings a higher 

 price than any other sold at present, but it is not considered 

 stylish, and its heavy shape retards its sale." 



The United States during the fiscal year 1907-08 exported 

 direct to Turkey rubber boots and shoes as follows: 



Pairs. Value. 



Turkey in Europe 15 ','3' $74.7.31 



Turkey in .-Vsia 18,946 10,034 



Total 170,077 $84,765 



To go back ten years, the exports for the fiscal period 1S97-98 

 were : 



Pairs. Value. 



Turkey in Europe 588 $325 



Turkey in Asia 150 80 



Total 738 $405 



Rubber goods other than footwear exported direct to Turkey 

 increased in value from $191 in 1897-98 to $8,364 in the year 

 ending June 30, 1908. 



RUBBER SHOES IN THE WHOLESALE TRADE. 



.•\t the clevcntli annual meeting of the Western Associa- 

 tion of Shoe Wholesalers (Chicago, December 18), the retir- 

 ing president, Mr. E. F. Carpenter, in his address, said in 

 part: 



"Heretofore the work of the association has been largely 

 in connection with the rubber business, but the past year has 

 been different in this particular. 



"At the outset of the year, 1908, we had quite a number of 

 complaints of irregularities, in all about 45. They were 

 promptly taken up, sifted out, and in nearly every instance 

 we found that the retailer was attempting to work one sales- 

 man against another to get a concession in price. A good 

 many of these cases were settled by the secretary going di- 

 rect to the dealer, in some cases accompanied by the sales- 

 man connected with the complaint. Each one of these in- 

 stances was amicably settled. 



"It is significant that so few instances of irregularities have 

 occurred this year as compared with other years — here we are 

 commencing to reap the benefit of our better acquaintance 

 with each other and the work of the association — especially 

 so in consideration of the fact of the reduced sale in rubbers, 

 particularly in the early part of the season, which, as you all 

 know, was attributable to two causes : First, the mild winter 

 of last year which reduced the sales and left comparatively 

 large stocks in the hands of the dealers; second, no induce- 

 ment in price was offered for early orders. 



"If we get the good, old-fashioned hard winter this year 

 that is predicted, it will clean up stocks in good shape 



.\nd if the rubber manufacturers decide to give an induce- 

 ment in price for early orders next season, we will have a 

 killing' in the rubber business next year. Let's all make up 

 our minds to retain our regular profit on the merchandise 

 and make the outcome of our year's business show a hand- 

 .sonie gain. 



"Our relations with the rubber manufacturers to-day are 

 on a different basis from ever before. The companies evince 

 a desire to do everything in their power to make our deal- 

 ings with them agreeable; and they give our suggestions and 

 recommendations a consideration never before accorded us 

 as individuals. This I firmly believe is almost wholly due 

 to the fact that the wholesalers have formed themselves into 

 associations for their own protection and benefit." 



The officers elected for the current year were: Charles L. 

 S warts, of St. Louis, president; I. H. Sawyer, of St. Louis, 

 vice-president;, S. W. Campbell, Continental National Bank 

 building, Chicago, secretary (re-elected) ; and an executive 

 conniiittee of 12. The new president is connected with the 

 W'orthcinier-Swarts Shoe Co., of St. Louis. 



The attendance at the annual banquet, on the same date, 

 included a goodly percentage of rubber shoe jobbers and of 

 representatives of rubber manufacturing firms. 



HIGHER RUBBER FOOTWEAR PRICES. 



■\T F.W price lists and new discounts were issued by the rubber 

 '■ ' footwear manufacturers, to take effect from January i, 

 1909, the changes involved being the first since the beginning 

 of 1907. Such changes as have been made in gross prices are 

 in the nature of advances, applying to items here and there 

 throughout the lists, and not following, so far as is apparent, 

 any particular rule. Thus the standard short boot remains at the 

 same price as before; men's Storm King boots are 20 cents 

 higher, and two dozen or more other items in boots are higher 

 by 5 to 20 cents. Most classes of shoes show an advance in 

 some of the items, but generally this applies to men's goods 

 rather than to women's and children's sizes. The advance 

 ranges from 2 cents per pair on sandals to 25 cents on misses' 

 "Empress" goods. 



The discounts to retailers this year dififer from last year's in 

 that an item of 3 per cent, is left off in each case. That is, first 

 quality goods carry a single discount of 25 per cent., instead 

 of 2S(ff:3, as formerly. The rates now are : 



First quality (except Woonsocket and Meyer) 25% 



Woonsockct and Meyer brands 25(0) $% 



Second quality (except Rhode Island and Jersey) 25(0110% 



Rhode Island and Jersey 25@io@ 5% 



There will be a special and extra discount of 5 per cent., how- 

 ever, in effect until May i, 1909, to encourage the early placing 

 of orders, and this is to be added to the discounts in the above 

 table in considering present prices. 



On the whole, rubber shoe prices are higher, but it would be 

 practically impossible to say how much so. Last year, a man's 

 short boot, listed at $4.20, with 2S@3 per cent, off, cost the re- 

 tailer $3.06. This year, at the same list, with the regular dis- 

 count and the extra 5 per cent., the cost is $2.99; after May i it 

 will be $3.15. Men's plain sandals, listed last year at 92 cents, 

 cost the retailer 67. This year, listed at 95, they will cost 68 

 cents until May I and 71 cents thereafter. 



The most expensive item of rubber "boots and shoes" in the 

 lists just issued for the current year is "men's body boots," sell- 

 ing price of which is $12.50. The next highest item is the 

 "Jumbo" boot, at $10. The scale then descends to $7.45, the price 



