LEATHER TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 9

LEATHER TRADE

QUIET TIME FOR TANNERS INTEREST -IN LEGISLATION "The same Conditions apply in Australia as exist in New Zealand in the boot trade," said Mr. L. 0. Bennett, a director of Neill, Cropper and Com-'y panv, Limited, who returned by the - Awatea yesterday after a business visit to Australia. "For the tanners, business has been very quiet in the last. few months, but they hope for better results after the New Year." Mr. Bennett said he had not been greatly concerned with the retail side of the footwear business. He" assumed, however, that if the tanners were not busy, other branches of the industry v ! were also going through a quiet period. Keen interest in recent New Zealand legislation was being taken by the business people of Australia, Mr. Bennett said. Most of thein seemed to be of the opinion that New Zealand was probably running into trouble because of her legislation. : ." The 40-hour week was a matter .of r . particular interest, and it was held to * be impossible in Australia to introduce this measure, and also higher wages, and yet to keep costs down. Although ; there was no 40-hour week in Aus- ; tralia, costs were high there. Mr. Bennett added. One example of living costs . was the price of a fish meal, which was „ 4s at a good restaurant.