A LEATHER FAMINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5357, 7 September 1895, Page 6

A LEATHER FAMINE.

The Paris correspondent of the Daily News says: — We are threatened with a crisis in the boot trade. It appear that leather has become almost bb scarce as in a ' beleaguered town, although not an article of food in 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 the available leather on the market. He will ask the Cham hers for a grant of J860,000, representing the enhancement of ooßt. The leather question affects the publio aa much as a new tax. The inhabitants of this country will hare to pay a million and a quarter sterling this year for their boots, the sudden and unexampled rise in leather being as high aa 60 per cent for some sorts, The ohief reason for thin is that the western farmers of the United States, finding tbe profits of cattle-breeding diminish, have curtailed their business. Moreover, ou unusually large number of cattle were slaughtered in 1898, when fodder was sa dear in oonseqnenoe of the drought. Lastly, the war between .China and Japan has caused a rise, both the belligerents having sent orders for boots to Euiope. Unfortunately,' it is anticipated that prices will not lapse to their, normal level before a few years. '