BOOT SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 3

BOOT SUPPLY.

RELIEF WORKERS. MINISTER EXPLAINS SCHEME. POSITION OF RETAILERS.

The Minister of Employment, the Hon. A. Hamilton, to-day explained in the following terms tho Unemployment Board's decision to supply footwear to relief workers and their dependents:— "The board has been giving close attention to the question of increasing the spending power of the unemployed workers," said the Minister. "There are two ways in which this could be achieved. We might increase the individual weekly amounts granted, but the limitation of the board's funds would not allow of any substantial increase in weekly pay without first increasing the taxation. The board is convinced that to press for an increase in this special taxation at the present juncture would result in accentuating the problem of unemployment.

"The other method by which the purchasing power of, these workers may be increased is to make available for them at greatly reduced prices some of tho goods of which they are in urgent need, and which to-day they cannot purchase through the ordinary channels of trade. "To Stimulate Boot Industry." "Our first aim in this project," said Mr. Hamilton, "is to stimulate the boot industry .by making it possible for every relief worker who has had a lengthy period on unemployment relief to obtain a good and suitable pair of boots for the winter. The intermittent relief worker on No. 5 scheme will be given an opportunity to work one extra day over his ordinary allocation, for which he will receive an order entitling him to a new pair of working boots of a value much in excess of an ordinary day's pay.

"In addition to this issue of working hoots, the total cost of which in the case of No. 5 scheme workers on rationed work will be met from the board's fund, the board is busy completing arrangements for the manufacture of boys' and girls' boots and shoes and women's shoes with a view to supplying them for cash at prices below manufacturers' costs. This proposalSvill involve heavy expenditure against our fund, and may very rightly be regarded as additional winter relief. , "Greater Value than Cash."

"We claim that this proposal has two very definite advantages over the procedure adopted last winter of merely increasing the weekly cash measure of relief to the individual by small amounts," continued the Minister. "The first advantage of the present proposal is that additional relief given will be of far greater value to the recipient than if the equivalent in cash were given to be exchanged for goods in the ordinary way.

"The second, and even more important, advantage is that to provide a market that does not at present exist for, say, 100,000 pairs of boots to be manufactured in New Zealand from New Zealand material will be a very effective stimulant to our boot and shoe industry, involving additional employment and the transfer of many boot operatives from the ranks of the unemployed to their proper place in industry. "I wish to point out here," said the Minister, "that while this proposal must be recognised at once as very desirable from the viewpoints of the unemployed, especially the unemployed boot operatives, and of the manufacturer, we are quite conscious of the fact that at first glance the proposal may be viewed with suspicion 'by retailers. This aspect of the proposal has received very careful consideration by the board, and opportunity has been taken of discussing it with representative manufacturers and retailers. I think that if we examine the position fairly and without prejudice we shall find that retailers, including those handling boots and shoes, will benefit rather than lose as a result of the board s efforts. Men Continually Unemployed. "A recent examination _of the unemployment register discloses the melancholy fact that of a total registiation of 48,640 no fewer than 30,452 had been on the books and in continuous receipt of relief for more than 20 weeks, and 17,502 of that number had been in receipt of continuous relief for over 52 weeks. It will be agreed at-once that unless these men have been supplementing their relief earnings to some degree they cannot have been able to purchase boots as they wore out and must have been depending largely on gifts of castoff boots and shoes. It is, therefore, clear that to issue boots and shoes under the conditions we have set down will in I no way adversely affect the boot retailer, but the additional market we are creating in this way will mean more men and women being placed in steady employment at standard wages, who immediately will become better customers of the retailers. "Now, as I have stated, the working boots will be the first to be dealt with, said Mr. Hamilton. "The boys and girls and women's boots and shoes will follow as soon as the details of administration aTe completed. The procedure for obtaining the working boots will be as follows:—Each relief worker desiring to take advantage of the scheme will be required to fill in a form requesting an opportunity to work one extra day in consideration of the issue of a pair of boots.

' Application Forms. "Forms of application and samples of boots will be available at all bureaux within two or three weeks. Notice of the arrival of the forms, and intimation where and when samples of boots may be seen will be given to workers by the immediate employing authority. On receipt of the application the certifying officer will, if it is in order, arrange with the employing authority for the day® work to be provided, after which the boots will be issued. Preference will be triven to unemployed who have been on scheme 5 rationed relief for o\ei -0 weeks continuously. , i' "Summarising this part of the boards proposals for winter relief, Re position should be that every unemployed boot operative will have an opportunity of fitting back into industry, that no unemployed worker need be without good footwear during the winter, and that the unemployed will be able to pur chase boots and shoes for members of their families at a few shillings a. pair, at prices in keeping with their limited incomes."