THE LEATHER FAMINE.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 116, 27 September 1895, Page 3

THE LEATHER FAMINE.

The Paris correspondent of the Daily News says :—We are threatened with a crisis in the boot trade. It appears that leather has become almost as scarce as in a beleaguered town although nut an article of food iu time of peace. The minister of War has-been alarmed lest in a month or two it would be impossible to shoe the army at any price, and he has given orders to buy up at once all tin available leather on the market. Ho will ask the Chambers for a grant of £OO,OOO, representing the enhancement of cost. The leather question affects the public as much as a new tax. The inhabitants of this country will have to pay a million and a quarter sterling this year for their boots, the sudden and unexampled rise m leather being as high as 60 per cent for some sorts. The chief reason for this is that' the western farmers of the United Slates, finding the profits of cattle breeding diminish, have curtailed their business, Moreover, an unusually large, number of cattle wore slaughtered iu ■ 896, when fodde.i was so dear in consequence of the drought. Lastly the war between China and Japan has caused a rice, both the bell'genls having sent orders for boots to Euiopo. Unfortunately it ,’s anticipated that prices will net lapse to their normal level before a few years.