FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURE

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 September 1939, Page 4

FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURE

INDUSTRY TO BE LICENSED. [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, September 6. Persons at present carrying on the manufacture of footwear will not have to obtain licenses from the Bureau of Industry before December 1 next; but applications for licenses will have to be lodged with the bureau by September 30. This was announced to-day by the Minister for Industries and Commerce (Mr D. G. Sullivan), In giving further information concerning the decision to effect the licensing of the footwear industry under the Industrial Efficiency Act, the Minister said that the period between now and December 1 would be required to enable the bureau to investigate the various aspects of applications before the date for the issue of licenses.

For the purpose of licensing, the “manufacture” of footwear is defined to include any or all of the processes relating to footwear known as clicking, machining, making, finishing, and cleaning, -every partial process comprised in any of these processes, and any other process or partial process having a similar effect to the above. “Manufacture” does not include any such complete or partial process when used in the repair of footwear. “Footwear” does not include surgical footwear. “As' I have previously announced,” said Mr Sullivan, “the footwear manufacturers of the Dominion have applied to me through the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, for the licensing of their industry, and, after carefully considering the question, I have reached the conclusion that the licensing and industrial planning for this very important industry will be of advantage not only to the industry, but ultimately to the consumer, which means everyone in our country. The import selection policy of the Government has resulted in a large expansion in our footwear industry, and the opportunities for effective planning are very considerable. It is the intention of the industry to get together immediately to formulate an appropriate industrial plan, and I have no doubt that the progressive efforts of this industry to become organised on a sound, rational basis will meet with the success they deserve.”