LOCAL FOOTWEAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23026, 2 May 1938, Page 12

LOCAL FOOTWEAR

NO EISE IN PRICES MANUFACTURERS' VIEWS REPLY TO IMPORTERS" BUREAU "It is apparently rather difficult to please the Bureau of Importers said the president of the New Zealand rootwear Manufacturers' Association, Mr H W Shove, in a statement issued vesterdav. "When the recent tariff was imposedthey announced that the controllers of the local footwear industrj would take advantage of it to raiso prices," he added. "Now tho suggestion of falling prices gives them equal concern. , "For two months we have hammered the point that the manufacturers wero tho only ones with either knowledge or authority to express an opinion and that they havo stated in clear and unequivocal terms that prices will not rise. No response has come to our invitation to produce examples or increased prices, but many retailers have expressed their appreciation of the way in which tho manufacturers havo met tho situation. Are we to understand that tho Bureau of Importers is now satisfied that our main contention, namely, that prices would not rise, has so far been upheld i Problem o! Tailing Prices "The problem of falling prices is one that we shall face if necessary without hesitation," the statement continued, "but we suggest seriously that in the interests of all concerned the present is not an opportune time for such a discussion. "The bureau suggests that, in view of tho facts which they have so far been able to discover, someone has blundered, and that article 8 of the Ottawa agreement has been violated. Apart from the fact that the provisions of Article 8 aro admittedly incapable of exact interpretation on a purely arithmetical basis, this suggestion would implicate the British Government as a party to tho error. There is. of course, tho possibility that the two Governments, realising the difficulties of arriving at an exact application of this clause, have agreed, as sensible business men would in a similar situation, to deal with the question on its merits and waive their respective rights xmder this section. Children's Shoes "The manufacturers do not require any time to make good their claims in regard to children's shoes and sandals. They have always supplied from 80 to 90 * per cent of the demand for children's shoes apart from sandals and are quite capable of meeting the entire demand. Large orders have already been deceived for a line of sandals which ; is being offered at exactly the same price as the ex-warehouse price for the English sandal prior to tho tariff. "It should be clearly understood that, providing retailers co-operate by ordering on an indent basis, there will not be the slightest difficulty in supplying the whole of the demand for children's 1 shoes and sandals at approximately the . pre-tariff price."

FARMERS' INVESTIGATION HIGHER PRICES REPORTED Results of an investigation to ascertain whether there had been any increase in the wholesale prices of New Zealand-made footwear since the recent increase in tariff rates, made by a committee appointed by a meeting of farmers held at East Tamaki on April 31, are contained in the report of the committee. The three members were Messrs. C. A. Moore, P. G. Wyman and A. C. Trousdale. The report reviews various aspects of the tariff and states that after the increase in the tariff rates a monopoly was created in favour of New Zealand manufacturers, and the public was then forced to buy the high-priced New Zealand goods or pay even higher prices for British-made footwear. That there had been a progressive increase in the prices of certain lines of New Zealandmade boots was proven by the following extracts from invoices examined by the committee: —Box calf boots: July, 1937, 17s; December, 1937, 17s 6d; April. 1938, 17s lid. Box calf oxfords and willow oxfords: September, 1937, 12s and 12s 3d; April, 1938, 13s 6d. Chrome derhv bals, September, 1937, 12s 6d; April, 1938, 13s 9d. , . "Definito information was obtained bv the committee that men's derby bals were quoted and ordered after the tariff increase at 12s 9d a pair," the report continues. "The invoice examined by the committee was delivered with the" order on April 8, and the price billed was 13s 9d a pair."