BOOTS FOR SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25802, 24 March 1945, Page 8

BOOTS FOR SERVICES

3,000,000 PAIRS MADE EFFECT ON CIVILIAN SUPPLY (Special) WELLINGTON, Mar. 23. From the outbreak of war to the end of last year, New Zealand .factories supplied 3,000,000 pairs of military footwear to the armed forces in the Dominion and overseas. This information was given by Mr E. R. Norman, president, to the annual conference of the New Zealand Footwear Manufacturers’ Federation at Wellington. Recent orders for 250,000 pairs of boots for the Eastern Group Supply Council, prevented any sharp taperingoff of military contracts in the near future, and for some time the industry would continue to make civilian ration requirements from leather left after the draw-off of best grades for the forces.

Forty different types of service footwear were produced in quantity, Mr Norman said, covering six to eight different demands made by each of the three services, and other “ specials ” for different races and terrains. Typical specialities were wide-fitting boots for' Tongan and Fijian forces, four tyes for the Indian Army, rubbersoled “Munson” boots for the United States Forces, and light footwear for prisoners of war. Because of their great variety, war contracts imposed a first priority on the best grades of practically all types of leather. “The provision of adequate supplies of some types of civilian footwear, particularly women’s and children’s shoes, and the lighter types of men’s footwear,” Mr Norman commented, " continues to be difficult, both from the raw materials and labour aspects.” He hoped, however, that war contracts would begin to taper off later this year, when manufacturers of footwear now in short supply, would be permitted to increase civilian production.

Present indications were that the end of war contracts would be met with a request for footwear for liberated countries overseas. This would be for civilian types, however, and would not interfere with normal civilian production to the extent that war contracts had done.