Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1918 — Fondle Attended National Shoe Convention [ARTICLE]

Fondle Attended National Shoe Convention

B. N. Fendig, Rensselaer’s enterprising exclusive shoe department "spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week attending a big national convention of the shoe manufacturers and merchants of the United States at the LaSalle hotel in Chicago. The convention was attended by over three thousand men interested in the shoe business. There was a shoe merchant from Canada, who asked to be admitted to the convention as a. member. This was done after the president of the meeting had made a most elegant speech in which he praised Canada for the wonderful part she had played in this - great world war drama. He said if this country would give a like proportion of men and money the Kaiser would be whipped in a very short time. It was the spirit of the convention to do everything to cooperate with the government in every way possible and to serve the people with the very best footwear at the very smallest possible price. The leather market was reported to be in fair condition and no raise in price of shoes is contemplated. People are to be urged to buy cloth topped shoes. There is a serious shortage in the rubber market and rubber goods have been advanced some 20 per cent by the wholesalers in the last few days.