BOOT MANUFACTURERS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17061, 4 February 1921, Page 7

BOOT MANUFACTURERS.

CONFERENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH. The New Zealand Boot Manufacturers' Association opened iheir annual conference in Christchurch on Wednesday morning. Proceedings have been held in camera. The delegates to the conference were entertained to a ban- j qwt at the Cadena Tea Rooms last | night, In- the Christchurch manufac- j turers Apologies were received for ab- j sence from the Prime Minister, Mr D. i G. Sullivan, M.P., Mr Pryor, of the | Employers' Federation, and others. ' Mr J. A. Frostick presided, and there j was an attendance of about 70, in- | eluding the Mayor (Dr. Thacker, M.P.), j Messrs L. M. Isitt, M.P., and G. Witty, : U.P. In his opening remarks Mr Frostick said that, within a few iveeks. the Association Would celebrate its 30th birthday. Thirty years aa;o the boot ! manufacturers found it advisable to I get together to see what they should jdo so as to best carry orr: The work- j I ers had given a lead in this. Mr Frostick related several reminiscences j lof the earlier days of the Association, and said that the Association had never worked for the control of prices, and the members had learned that the labourer was worthy of his hire. Since those first days wa;*es had doubled, but through the* introduction of modern plant tho cost of output of footwear was now less. The spirit to-day should bo .as in the past, to -help each other so that all could do better to-mororw. Mr Frostick proceeded that a point which should be realised was that they ' should, in the conduct of their business, get together and get in closer touch with the public, and make all realise that they were entrusted with the important task of finding footwear for the people. It was their duty to use the raw material to the best advantage, and make the public realise that everything sent out of the country in raw material is something lost to the country. In practically all or the articles used or worn in New Zenland there was 7~> to 90 per cent, oi the cost to pay for wages. ' This proved the necessity of using the country s raw material in our own country, and in the interests of New Zealand it behoved us to see that the wealth created was spent for our own use. (Hear, hear.) Inverting to the origination ot the Association, Mr Ftostick said that of the band which formed the Association, Ke was one of the few members now left alive. Mr C. M. Ollivier, in proposing the toast of "The Association," satfthat Mr Frostick had mentioned that io to 90 per cent, of the cost of imported goods went to wages. Now, hp asked, was it not up to us to have some or the percentage, 5 (Hear,' hear.) It was about time ths boot manufacturers asserted themselves. They should no longer allow themselves to be made political balls for politicians to - play with. The manufacturers had taken things lying down. The retailers had had the loan of them. The travellers from Australia or England received large orders, while the local manufacturers only received stop-gap orders. If local manufacturers were given a chance they could be relied_ on to deliver the goods. Mr Ollivier at this stage happily related a story. A friend j of his, an Imperial soldier, who had come to New Zealand to reside, wont into a bootslidp to purchase a pair of Loots. The shopman showed him a pair of English-made boots, but ilie Englishman" said, "They are no good to me. lam living in New Zealand now, and I want some of the New Zealand stuff." * And then the boot retailer plucked up courage and showed a iiair of New Zealand-made hpots, of Christchurch leather, just as good as, but at half the price of the English article. ■ The Englishman readily purchased those boots. The trouble with us in New Zealand, added Mr Ollivier, was that we did not appreciate ourselves sufficiently. If we were loyal to-our-selves and to one another, we could not come to any • harm, and it should be remembered that the wealth of the community woflld be increased by, importing as little is possible and bj\ relying as much ro possible on one another. , . Mr-H.'B. Duckworth, jn replying to the toast, said that until the war started the New Zealand shoe manufacturer did not have a chance against the imported footwear. After that it took some tiniei to get the Dominion f&ctorics going, but inside of two years the New Zealand manufacturers were selling shoes, as good as imported ones, which the purchasers never knew were made of New Zealand leather and of New Zealand manufacture. If the public and the retailers would give a fair hearing to the manufacturers in the next few years, they would get a fair return.' The position now, he admitted, was rather black, as there was a million pounds' worth of footwear from Australia imported into New Zealand within the last twelve months, and there was a good deal of that stock on hand. . , Mr W. J. Trewern also replied to the toast. ~ . Mr H. It. Best proposed the .toast of "The Parliament of New. Zealand, and said that it would not be long until the boot manufacturers would call on Parliament to help them.- The people were now passing through strenuous times—perhaps in the end it would be all the tetter for them, because a little adversity might spur them on to fresh efforts. . v ~ , Dr. Thacker, replying, said that members of Parliament appreciated the efforts being made to induce people of New Zealand to wear New Zealand boots. Now Zealand had the goods to turn out first-class footwear." If he could help to make New Zealanders to use everything made in New Zealand, he- would .do his best in doing so. There was no reason why a#single skin should go out of this country to be made into footwear, because that could be just as well made here. Mr Isitt said that when he came to this country he was a freetrader, but he had not been here long before he arrived at the conclusion that he would be a very unwise man who would not foster his own industries. It seemed to be a mad thing to grow our leather here, pay its freight Home, and buy the manufactured article, with freight added, back again". With conditions as they are at present there was no-reason why, with equal benefit to the manufacturers and the users, New Zealand leather should not be manufactured here. H© was right with the manufacturers in getting protection for Now Zealand foottvear. (Applause.) He would do all in his power to develop the industry. Mr Witty said 4 that members of Parliament could not know the" wants of'the people if information was not given tkem._ There must be a lack of loyalty or knowledge when so much , footwear was imported. The manufac- ' turers should get anlong the people and sJfow them what the cost of the local article was,' and it' they did that they would get custom. Mr J: A. Frostick proposed the toast of "The Board of Trade." Mr W. G. McDonald, chairman of the' Board of Trade, replied, and said that the Board of Trade had honestly tried to .find the key of the economic problem. Nothing wrong had been found with the boot-making industry. Practically 'all the industries of the country had oeen investigated, and 99 per cent, had played the game during the war.