FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 109, 10 May 1941, Page 11

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE , RATIOXATiISATIOX SCHEME 'P.A.) XELSOX. Friday. The recently established footwear industry committee has lost no time in getting to work, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan to-day. The setting up of this committee marks an epoch in the history of the footwear Industry in this country, added the Minister. The industry decided. by majority vote in favour of being licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act. and. to work under a plan submitted for the approval of the industry. The industrial committee set up to carry out the plan consists of representatives of the State drawn from the Departments of Industries and Commerce, representatives of workers employed in the industry, and representatives of the employers who were the licensees. Members of the committee were Messrs. E. \V. Bridgens (chairman), C. W. Coles, J. A. East, G. L. Lindley, G. F. Grieve, L. J. IVicDonald. S. C. A. Ringrose, C. A. Wafts, and Mr. S f J. Collins had been appointed secretary.

The. Minister explained that he had addressed the committee concerning the future of its activities. Rationalisation of the industry was very necessary to-day as a war measure, and there would probably have to be a good deal more of it in the near future to enable the country to stand up to economic conditions imposed by the war, but industries function-' ing under the Industrial Efficiency Act and operating under a plan directed by an industrial committee upon which employers, workers and the State were represented, could largely carry out the job themselves as a self-governing entity. The principal objective was to serve the public interest, and the committee must work in a way that would reconcile public interest with the welfare of all engaged in the industry. There were important problems affecting New Zealand's war effort also that could be dealt with by the committee, such as the supply of footwear overseas, not only to New Zealand troops, which was already being done, but also to troops of other Governments in the British Commonwealth. In this particular matter the committee would require to work in conjunction with the factory controller.