NORTHANT BOOTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 217, 14 September 1939, Page 15

NORTHANT BOOTS.

A £1,250,000 ORDER.

FOOTWEAR FOR THE ARMY.

FACTORIES AT THEIR BUSIEST,

Edward Bordoli, straw-hatted secretary to Northampton Boot and Shoe Makers' Association, can rank as the town's No. 1 salesman.

Fourteen factories in Northampton ate sharing a Ministry of Supply order tor 2,000,000 pairs of service footwear. That order means more than £1,250,000; and there is more to come. Northampton to-day is at prosperity peak, busier than it has been since the last war. Offered Services. In this Edward Bordoli has played a major part. When the country prepared to go on a war-footing, he said to the association president, Mr. J. H. Newton:

"We must go to London. Northampton produces the best boots and shoes in the world; we have the skilled operatives and the facilities. We should offer our services."

To London they went, side-tracking the laborious machinery of individual tender, offering to eet 14 factories to work as a single unit. Bordoli produced figures. They were accepted. "Contracts now well in hand are to be completed within nine months," said Mr. Bordoli. "Daily deliveries are being made to the new ordnance stores near Burton-on-Trent. 4lb a Pair. "Until recent weeks practically no service footwear had been made in Northampton since the la*t war. Manufacturers have bought machinery capable of dealing with the heavy materials for Army boots. One pair of boots weigh 4lb.

"To date 350 new machines have been installed. In addition to Army boots, we are making walking and flying shoes for the R.A.F. and canvas shoes for the Navy. "Northampton's factories are to-day busier than at aiiy time since the war. A number of operatives still are underemployed, but none is unemployed, and there is a scarcity of women workers." Further trade is likely in the shape of orders for service boots from Powers in Europe to whom Britain has extended loans. Mr. Bordoli said: "We expect orders from France, Poland, Greece, Turkey and Rumania. These will be handled by the Ministry of Supply, which deals also with the distribution of leather." Leicester hopes to share in these orders. Normally Leicester shoe manufacturers concentrate on women's and children's footwear, but the town has been asked to begin making Army boots to meet foreign orders.