FOOTWEAR TRADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 172, 3 May 1943, Page 4

FOOTWEAR TRADE.

WARTIME NEEDS OF INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION ON ESSENTIALS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A statement signed by the president (Mr E. J. Jones) and the secretary (Mr G. Shields) of the Dominion Federation of the Boot Trades Association says that the main object of the resolution passed at the annual conference was not, as reported,- an indictment of the footwear manufacturers of New Zealand generally, but. rather to draw attention to the urgent need of diverting labour and materials toward the manufacturing of utility types of footwear and, as a war measure, substantially reducing or cutting out altogether the manufacture of non-essential types such as ultrafashion lines. By so doing it might be possible to increase the output of children’s footwear, of which there is an acute shortage-, and to conserve both labour and materials, both of which are in short supply, and manufacture footwear which is at least repairable. It is agreed that the standard specificattions. are a step in the right direction, nevertheless, “these specifications are applicable only to standard types of utility footwear and it still leaves a very wide scope for continuation of the manufacture of types of footwear which are neither essential nor desirable at the moment.”

' The statement says that a further resolution passed was to the effect that the authorities! he approached with the object of instituting classes in technical schools for tuition in bespoke bootmaking, footwear and repairing, but for such training to be confined to apprentices of the trade. There were urgent needs for apprentices especially for bespoke-making and this need would be increased as the war proceeded, and in order that a continuity of skilled tradesmen might be provided for, combined technical and practical training was strongly advocated by the Federation.