BOOTS AND, SHOES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 28, 3 February 1930, Page 12

BOOTS AND, SHOES

PRODUCTION FIGUEES

HERE AND ELSEWHERE

'■Evening Post," 3rd February. . In view of the recent investigations into the footwear industry in New Zealand and the possibility of further investigations in the near future, details regarding production of boots and shoes in Dominion factories are of interest;, particularly when compared with other...countries.

The total production of footwear for New Zealand for the jcar ended 31st March, 1920 (the latest year for which statistics aie a\aiUble) was 1,370,099 pairs, consisting of 1,231,442 pairs of adults' boots and shoes, 7731 juirs of slippeis, and 111,520 pahs ot children's bootsand shoes. The lotal niinibcr of employees engaged in the industry during the same period iias 2293. and the number of establishments was 7-). The number of peisons engaged for the previous year ended 31st March, 1925, was 2335, and the number of establishments was 81^'i'hp production of ioutwear totalled 1,4j3,Uu8 pairs, comprising 1,311,003 pairs of adults' boots and bhoes, 7922 pairs ot slippers, and 134,351 pairs of children's boots and ' shoes. The latest detailed statistics available • regarding the production of boot and shoe . factories in Australia are for the year 1926-27. The number of factories in ope • ration was 360, employing 20,217 hands, ■ to whom wages were paid amounting to £3,284,675. The value of raw materials worked up was £4,928,510, the value added in process of manufacture £4,751,150, and the total value of output £9,739,479. The output consisted of 13,806,000 pairs of boots and shoes, valued at £8,772,718; 3,632,000 pairs of slippers valued at £471,----254; 104,000 pairs of uppers (made foi> other than factory use) valued at £33,091. Available statistics for the year 1927-28 are as follows: —Number of establishments, 356, employing 18,783 hands; salar- • ies and wages paid £3,114,552; value of materials used, £5,006,540; value added siu process of manufacture, £4,518,259; value of output, £9,586,828. Imports of footwear into Australia for 1926-27 were valued at £517,542. This total" consisted of the following classes: — ' Boots, shoes, slippers, etc., £237,406; ladies' evening footwear with textile" uppers, £14,752; other footwear with textile uppers, excluding rubber soled, £37,----798; goloshes and rubber sand boots and "shoes, and plimsolls,! £114,353; gum and •wading boots, £37,778; slipper forms and piece..'goods (except Clippers sole felt), £66,962; uppers and tops, £8493. INDUSTRY IN CANADA. "According to further figures issued by . the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Canada," states the Board of Trade Journal (England) of sth December, 1929, "the ' number of pairs of leather \ boots and shoes made in Canada during 1928 was no less than 20,793,758, • the total value of the output reaching 50,018,802 dollars. Comparing the figures with those for 1927 this is an increase in number of 200,000 . pairs,;and a gain in value oPnearly three million dollars. Canadian boot and shoe factories in 1928 numbered 199, as. compared with 191 in the previous year, 21 new factories having been opened and 13 closed during the twelve months. There ■was a slight decrease last year in capital investment, the total being 31,433,028 dollars. An increase took place) however, in the number of persons employed, and in v the salaries and wages paid; the total number of employees reached 15,505, and remuneration aggregated. ,14,982,608 dollars. The number of days in operation on full or part-time for all factories was 56,360, an average of 283.2 days per factory. The value of materials used by the industry during the year was 26,383,043 dollars, the total value of products, as .already mentioned, being 50,018,802 dollars. The total consumption of leather footwear in Canada during the year is estimated at 22,146,717 pairs, representing rm average per head of 2.29 pairs. Of the Canadian production in 1928 men's footgear totalled 6,176,308 pairs, valued at 18;758,776 dollars; boys' and youths' 1,476,586 pairs, at 2,987,756 dollars; women's 9,073,750 pairs, at 22,885,033 dollars; misses' and children's 2,626,254 paiis, at 3,675,938 dollars; and babies', and mi fants' 1,440,860 pairs at 1,346,255 dollars. The,number of boot and shoe factories in the Province of Quebec was 117, Ontario having 65, British Columbia seven, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick four each, and Manitoba two."