ENGLISH SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22977, 3 March 1938, Page 12

ENGLISH SHOES

INDENTS CANCELLED CHILDREN'S SANDALS WINTER SHORTAGE PREDICTED • 4 EFFECT OF INCREASED DUTY Many customers of merchants who had indented cheap English footwear, more particularly children's sandals, yesterday cancelled their orders because of the penalising effect of the new tariff duties. It was stated by a merchant through whom indents had been lodged and subsequently cancelled that it could be regarded as certain that a good part of a large consignment of sandals and footwear arriving in Auckland in the Mahana on March 10 would not bo unloaded, but returned to England, because of the high duties. The opinion was also expressed in th«» importing trade that there will be a distinct shortage very soon of children's sandals, which would be felt throughout the winter months. Position of Manufacturer New Zealand manufacturers were not in possession of the necessary machinery to take over straight away the production of sandals on a scale that would make up for the cessation, for all practical purposes, of imports, it was stated. The new tariff duties do not apply to children's sandals, or children's boots, shoes or goloshes, of sizes 0 to 9, these being free. These sizes, however, are intended for infants, most children of seven years taking about size 10, so that imported sandals for children of school age are subject to the high duties. The retail prices ruling before the rise in tariffs were stated to bo from about 3s 6d to 4s 6d for sizes up to nines, and averaged about 6s 6d for sizes 10 to 1, and about is 6d for 2 to 5. It was claimed that the New Zealand manufacturer could not possibly produce sandals of the English quality to sell at anything like such comparatively low prices. It was expected that manufacturers would now turn attention to sandals, but until they had proper machinery for the purpose, such footwear would not be up to the present standard. In any case, it was not expected that they could overcome the for some months that would be the immediate outcome of the stoppage of English supplies. Losses by Merchants Not only children's sandals are affected by the present situation. Sandals began to gain popularity among men this summer, and traders, anticipating that the fashion in them would become pronounced next summer, lodged heavy indents. Among merchants there is considerable resentment at the action of the Government in issuing the new scale of duties without some preliminary warning that it proposed to take action against importations of the cheaper type of footwear. "We have had travellers out all over the country since the beginning of the year booking orders," said a representative of an importing firm. "That has entailed heavy expense, and we will lose our outlay because orders are now being cancelled. We might dispute cancellations by our customers, but if we did so we would lose their future custom."