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is much less than the cost of living in the eastern and
metropolitan centers. If w/e %-ere conceded the differential
rihich our handiccpoed position in this field of manufacture
plainly indicated 7e are entitled to, .;e 7ould be in a posi-
tion to employ more labor than we are able to emoloy at
present, as we could again resume lines we have hraa to dis-
continue, thus being more of a benefit to our community and
be on a better basis as a firm. The leeker Co. has been in
business more than 25 years, and has never been located any-
;here except here in Joplin. Our products are sold to de-
pertmnent stores and other retail outlets throughout the en-
tire United States."

 The cost of living in Joplin, io. is no less than it
 is in Sussex, New Jersey, Clinton, Mlass., or BoyTrtown,
 Pa., or other towns in which handbag factories are lo-
 cated. In the New York area the workers are paid about
 50 more on the average than the Meeker Co. pays its
 employees on the -verage, and unless the Lieeker Co.
 seeks to maintain the lowest living standards in Joplin,
 Mo. there is no justification for their claim on the
 basis of lower living costs in Joplin, Mo.
 V:
"Another handicap of some i.1 )ortance is that in selling our
product in some of the big- e stern cities, particularly New
York City, to maX!e such s.les -we are compelled to pay the
transportation charges to the customer to equalize the trans-
portation cost with thd of the manufacturer in New York close
to the customer where no transportation charges are involved."

 It is true that there are at a disadvantage .'-hen they
 try to sell their product in Nev York City where one
 hundred mvnufact.irers are loc-ted, sufficient to care
 for all the needs of the trade in Ne.- York. On the
 other hjnd, a New York manufacturer is at a disadvan-
 tage if he tries to sell nis product in Kansas City,
 MIissouri in competition w.,ith the Meeker Co. No re-
 tailer in New York City is killingg to buy goods in
 Joplin, Mo. and pay transportation chc.rges, when he can
 buy goods of equal value and style in his own market,
 delivered free of charge. The real purpose of a New
 York selling office for a factory far removed from
 Newv York, is for the purpose of selling to out of town
 stores who visit the New York market.

"Another Eangle to our situation is that .-hile we are the
only hi.ndbat manufacturer in our town, or for that matter,
in this entire section, in fact, the largest handbag
manufacturer west of the Ilississiooi Liver there are in
our city garment m nufacturer's, and other manufacturers in
other towns in our immediate vicinity. Also, there are a
number of shoe manufacturers not in our city, but in our


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