BOOT REPAIRS.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 15

BOOT REPAIRS.

CRITICISM OF RELIEF SCHEME.

INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVATE TRADESMEN ALLEGED.

Strong criticism of the boot repairing scheme conducted by the Citizens' Relief Association, with the assistance of the Unemployment Board, in ChristI church, was expressed by repairers at a meeting of footwear wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and repairers held last night. Allegations were made that the scheme was being abused, that it did not give good workmanship, that the best material was not used, and that. it seriously interfered with the trade of the boot repairers in business in the city. » The discussion was introduced by a delegation representing the repairers. Mr P. Taylor said that the system of carrying out boot repairs conducted by the Citizens' Relief Association with the financial aid from the Unemployment Board could not be defended, and as it operated at present an emphatic protest should be entered. The work was not on an economically sound basis. The standard of workmanship was not high, and the jobs turned out were inferior. The leather in use was shoulder leather only. He had seen many samples of work done at the depot, and they were not up to standards recognised by men in the repairing trade. In the main it was from two weeks to a month before boots taken to the depot weie returned repaired, and then 'hey were hardly worth wearing.

Abuse of Charity Alleged. Mr Taylor added that the scheme was abused, as neighbours of relief workers or friends contrived to have their repairs sent to the depot, and done for nothing also. Originally the work had been undertaken by the association in order to put into commission boots —out of repair—given by city people. At present ordinary repair work was undertaken. Legitimate 'work should be done by city repairers, who would then be able to take on men as demand insisted. Another repairer said that it was suggested by the association recently that in future the minimum charges for repairs be Is for children's and women's boots and shoes, and Is 6d for men's. Mr W. Taylor said that the scheme as at present constituted represented a certain amount of waste. The repair work took a long time, the work was of an inferior type generally, and the principle of the Unemployment Board thus interfering with private repairers was very wrong. Statements Quoted. "The organisation responsible is the Citizens' Relief Association," Mr Taylor added. "I know the man who was in charge, and he stated that work came in to the depot from persons who could well afford to pay for the repairs to be done in legitimate channels. It came in with other work legitimate because it is from persons really in distress. There is no doubt that the work of the depot is inferior, ana there is the other aspect, that die men employed at the. depot would rather be employed outside. I also know one man who stated that he did not want to be boot repairing, but that when he put his occupation down as bootmaker at the Unemployment Bureau he was sent to work at the depot. He had no choice in the matter. Mr T. H. Woods: A deputation once waited on the association in protest against this repairing, but there was no satisfaction. Ido not think this question is concerned with the latest protest to the Unemployment Board against the manufacture of footwear and direct distribution to the relief workers. Mr Taylor: The Unemployment Board pay the wages of the men working for the association boot repairing. Surely the protest should be to the board, Mr A. Rennie: There are more than 100 members of the repairers' organisation in Christchurch and they should be entitled to a hearing. I think that if the retailers had taken the same interest 18 months ago as is now displayed there would have been a good result and the board would not be manufacturing boots to-day. Mr Woods: That is not true. The retailers were interested in the problems of repairers and the manufacturers were sympathetic. There is ho need for a split at all. It was decided after further discussion that Mr Woods present the repairars* protest against the operation of the association's depot to the Unemployment Board through Mr P. R. Climie.

ALLEGATIONS DENIED. STATEMENT BY MR G. HARPER. V A denial that the work done by boot repairers working at the depot of the Citizens' Relief Association was of inferior quality was made by Mr George Harper, chairman of the committee of the association, when he was interviewed by a representative of "The Press" last night. Mr Harper stated that there had been no decision to charge for the iepairs done by the relief workers at the depot, although it had been suggested. The repairs were done as they had been for the last two years, except that the staff had been increased. The arrangement was that Mr R. T. Bailey, officer in charge of the Labour Department, provided the workers whose wages were thus paid by the Unemployment Board. Unemployed cobblers were employed for the repairing, which was done without a charge being made. ; The quality of the work was equal to the best, Mr Harper added. That was the considered opinion of those members of the committee who were competent to judge. The men employed were old-fashioned cobblers and not machinists.