FOOTWEAR TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23425, 15 August 1939, Page 13

FOOTWEAR TRADE

ADULT APPRENTICES STATE-AIDED TRAINING PLAN COMMENT IN THE INDUSTRY ADOPTION MAY BE RESTRICTED Praise for the plan for the transfer of men from public works and Scheme 13 to the footwear industry, but doubt whether they could be effectively employed until a shortage of women machinists was overcome, was expressed by Auckland boot and shoe manufacturers when commenting upon the scheme introduced by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb. The plan resulted from representations by boot manufacturers throughout the Dominion. "Wo want to help tho Minister and work in with him as much as we possibly can," said Mr. H. Edwards, chairman of the footwear manufacturers' group in Auckland. "However, when a man sets out to build a house 110 has to start with a foundation and in our business the foundation is the machinist. Training oi Women "At the present time there is a pronounced shortage of machinists throughout the Dominion. Until we can get some method of training women with a little knowledge of machine work to a stage where they can be placed in tho factories on full time, it is useless providing extra men when we have such a shortage of machinists. "Perhaps some plan could be brought down so that women desiring to secure positions in boot and shoe_ factories could bo taught in classes similar to those for technical training. If this is brought about more skilled labour would be definitely required for greater production." Rates for Single Men Speaking by telephone from Christchurch, the president of the Dominion Federation of Footwear Manufacturers, Mr. D. V. Wilson, said he thought the rates of pay announced by the Minister were for married men only. For single men he thought the rates were to be as follows: —First half-year, £3 10s: second half-year, £3 15s; third half-year. £4; fourth half-year, £4 10s; fifth half-year. £4 15s. Toward these wages the department, he thought, would refund the following subsidies: — First half-year, £1; second half-year, 15s; third half-year, 10s; fourth halfyear, 10sj fifth half-year, os. Mr. Wilson also said he understood that these adult apprentices would come under the ordinary quota of apprentices. If that was it would tend to restrict the operation of 1 the scheme, because most of the factories were at present carrying their full quota. •"

IMPORTED SHOES DIMINISHING STOCKS DOMINION MANUFACTURES PRICES TENDING UPWARD Stocks of imported footwear are described by retailers as now being very much diminished, some classes being exhausted, a condition applying to both warehouses and shops. Furthermore, some lines or sizes of Newr./Zealand footwear are scarce, factories lagging with deliveries of orders, which are often four months in arrears. The situation in the -factories is ascribed to several reasons. One is the execution of large orders for defence purposes, which naturally have precedence. Another is the very determined effort being made by manufacturers to produce footwear of high quality and finish to take the place of imported manufactures, and which has sometimes led to ah easing up o/ ; production in their normal standard lines. This easing up has been enforced through a difficulty in obtaining Hiifficient labour. The most pronounced shortage, in the opinion of several retailers, exists in some sizes of children's shoes. In stating that a steady tendency toward higher prices has been apparent for some time, retailers .point out that it is evident more by the prices for new lines than by actual advances in the old. New styles appear, replacing former patterns, and tne prices of these are often higher than the old, although retailers admitted that higher production costs had been forced on manufacturers.