LEATHER AND THE WAR

Nelson Evening Mail, 26 May 1916, Page 7

LEATHER AND THE WAR

The writer of an article in Dun's .-.Review (New York) speculates as to '"the probable conditions regarding hides .and leather after the. war. The United States has stood pre-eminent for many years in the manufacture of leather, with Germany up, to the commence- ■ ment of the: war as its strongest competitor. Although .but little is known i'ag to what is •going.on in German, tan--1 rieries- it is presumed that,'the chief production is. leather - for military "needs, and ; it is not believed that any surplus of:fancy '-leathers has been accumulated which can be.marketed later on, as. Germany has only had a limited quantity of raw hides and skins available to tan. It is not believed in most • trade circles in the United States that peace in Europe ...will affect raw hides to as much an extent/as finished leather, for the reason thai the hide markets of most of-tie "world have been open to American tanners, with little competition from Europe; and the re--, suit has been that during: a year past the cost of hides has increased; but slightly, whereas most kinds of leather liiive gone materially/, higher, the advance in some; varieties, such, as certain kinds of sole and rough belting, being- as much as 40 per cent. It is natural to suppose that* after the. war will again be in; the markets of South America, etc,, for hides, and that' this buying may be sufficient to maintain values, despite the lessened demand from the United States. There, are many who" entertain the opinion that hide values will go materially lower, as America has of late been taking the excess of. the world's supply formerly" purchased, by Europe, and that when Europe is no.longer in need of our ' leather for army shoes, harness, saddles, and itlie many other military equipment goods, Amei-ican tanners will materially curtail production from, the present abnormal output, while German "-and European producers will 'not be inclined to stock up with raw hides to any extent at their present high prices, .even if they are fmancialy able'-to do so and' the regular peace demands for leather warrant it. Germany and. Austria are the only countries that are i really short of hides, and their demands may, not be so excessive as to be a' material factor. . There were about 6,000,000. more hides tanned in the .United States during 1915 than- in the normal year 1913, ; and it would take a great deal of buying- on the part; of Europe; to purchase, any such" quantity in the period of a year from the date of peace. ''■ . On the other hand, calfskins are certain to be materially affected by peace. The chief sources of supply of calfskins l is Europe, especially ■Russia, and to a lesser extent Austria and Germany.. No doubt -all), the calfskins in. the two latter countries, as I well as in such sections of Poland and' Courland as are now under the control of- the Central Powers,. have been utilised, but as Russia only uses "a small part of the skins it produces it is generally supposed there are large accumulations in' that country which will be available as soon as the conflict ceases and the present scarcity of calf in America will therefore be immediately relieved.