GUMBOOTS

Grey River Argus, 29 November 1943, Page 2

GUMBOOTS

The Hon. J. O’Brien, Member • for Westland, has received the following letter from the Minister of Supply, re the supply of gumboots:— “I am in receipt of your letter of the Ist November stating that you are being inundated .with requests for gumboots from various people engaged in farming duties. The supply of. gumboots from overseas ceased about 18 months ago, owing to a complete embargo being placed on the export by the manufacturing countries, this cessation resulting in a complete clearance of stocks. Repeated efforts to secure supplies from the hitherto exporting countries have been unsuccessful until very recently a small order was accepted lend-lease. Under the terms of the acceptance of this order, my; Ministry is obliged to control gumboots coming forward so as to ensure that only urgent and really necessitous cases are supplied. This shipment from overseas should be here very shortly, but it shqyld be remembered that the quantity coming forward is insufficient for our needs necessitating a scheme of control to give as wide a coverage as possible over all classes for whom gumboots are really necessary. “As soon as gumboots arrive, full publicity? will be given as to the scheme of distribution and as to how and to whom applications for release should be made. Regarding the production of the local source in Christchurch, boots, are now being produced, although in small quantities, and not sufficient to give anything like adequate? lor reasonable coverage over an;/ particular section of the community. However, this production will be a' welcome adjunct to the shipment from overseas, and should go a long way to cover urgent cases for the next wet season.