NEW ZEALAND BOOTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13903, 30 November 1910, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND BOOTS.

TO THK EDITOR OF "THE PRES-. Sir,—Few people will consider Mr T. E. Taylor as an authority in the manufacture of boots and shoes, altnougn j probabh- Rome thousands of people m this count- know how he delights in creating a sensation, regardless ol the result which the flights of his imagination may cause. The report ot Mi Taylor's remarks is another illustration of the immense amount of injury which a careless remark may cause to an im- ! portant colonial industry. Mr Taylor says that the working man has been imposed upon in a scandalous inannoi, because the hoots which are made in this country aro absolutely fraudulent, —the insides being made of cardboard, and he urges the "compulsory branding of all boots and shoes in order that the public may be warned against buying hoots made in New Zealand—such is the only inference which can be drawn from his remarks, as reported. Mr Tavlor abuses his privileges as a member of Parliament when he makes such an outrageously incorrect statement, and no one knows this bettor than' himself. There may be a few pairs of shoes made in New Zealand in which cardboard forms a part of the material used, but we challenge Mr Taylor to prove that even o per cent, of 'the footwear made in this oountry contains any cardboard or composit.on, and if. after 25 years' practical experience in boot manufacturing in New Zealand we may be permitted to express an opinion contrary to that expressed by Mr Taylor, we would —y that we have never seen cardboard used in any factory under the control of the New * Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Federation, and if it is used, it is only to compete with imported "shoddy, " which the common sense of any reasonably intelligent buyer would tell him that the article could not bo produced for the price, except by the- use of "shoddy" material. Be that as it may, we assert, and with full knowledge of the subject (which Mr Taylor does not posse ss), that at least 95 per cent, of al! the footwear produced in this country is made from solid leather, being a record which no other country can establish. Tho Hon. Mr Millar took a much more sensible view of the question when he suggested that legislation should he introduced which would provide, for ".shoddy" being marked as sueh —this would no doubt apply to locally mado. as well a.s to imported articles, and with this we cordially agree, and feel sure that such a proposal would have the hearty support of all classes of persons interested in the welfare of New Zealand industries. —Yours, etc., (Signed) WILLIAM WILLIAMS. President of New Zealand Federated Union of Workers. (Signed) JAS. A. FROSTICK, Ex-President of 'the N.Z. Boot Manufacturers' Federation.