Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 282, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1916 — F. P. MEYER MAKES BOW AS ORATOR [ARTICLE]

F. P. MEYER MAKES BOW AS ORATOR

Former Rensselaer Boy Gives Talk To the Illinois Shoe Dealers at Meeting Recently. Frank P. Meyer, of Danville, 111., formerly of this city and familiarly known as “Dutch,” made his bow as a public orator recently and made as decided a hit in this line as he has in the shoe business in the city where he is now located. Mr. Meyer was recently electee president of the State Retailers Association and has been honored in many ways by the business men of Danville. Mr. Meyer is a hustler and knows “shoes” from top to bottom. “Shoe Day” was held Tuesday at the Rotary Club meeting, and it was at this time that Mr. Meyer made his bow before his fellow clubmen. Of his speech the Danville News says: “His speech was very interesting, especially so at this time, in view of the fact that the retail market at the present time is showing with some Other lines of business a great change, ‘on account of the war’. Mr. Meyer is president of the Illinois Retail Shoe Association. “While there is considerable skepticism on the part of the people in regard to the war being responsible for prevailing high prices in certain lines, the address of Mr. Meyer will, to the fair minded person, explain partly the unusual change in the shoe market.” Mr. Meyer’s speech was printed word for word in the Danville News, and is a column in length. He showed the development of the shoe business in this country since it was first settled. Mr. Meyer explained the present high price of shoes to the shortage of leather, the shortage being due to the shortage of cattle and horses, from whose hides the leather ig made. The United States does not supply enough hides to even care for herself and is dependent upon other countries, and at the present time, ow’ing to the war, South America is the only place where leather may oe obtained and even with a supply from, that country, the United States dealers face a shortage in leather that is responsible for the prevailing high prices.