THE BOOT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 70

THE BOOT TRADE.

WORST IN HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.

(( WELLINGTON, February 27. Conditions in the boot trade during the year were the worst in the history ot the industry. They were terrible. , the smaller firms must get out white the bigger ones hang on in a desperate, miserable way, hoping that some day they will pay a dividend." Th-e above statement was made by Mr Best, the spokesman of a deputation which waited upon the New Zealand Manufacturers’ federation to-day in order to place tire state ot the boot industry before the conference. Mr Best said that in all his experience, which extended over a period of -34 years, he had never known conditions to be so bad as they were last year. Ihousands of men had been employed only part time. No firm in the industry to-day- was making a profit, and unless there was some improvement before long quite a number would have to go out of business. In his opinion the only remedy was further protection in th e way of a tariff

“We are often told that we should combine and go in for mass production,” Mr Best continued, “ but it is impossible under the present conditions to get adequate work to keep the n.acliines going. Ihe retailers have been hit badly by syndicates importing shoes and selling them as low as I2s 6d. That is what is happening in Christchurch where thousands ot these shoes are being auctioned. We are in difficulties, there is no doubi- about that. The tanners also are feeling the slackness. All we ask for is our co-opera-tion. We have the plant to cope with all the work we can get- in New Zealand.” , , r f. L. Hutchinson, a Canterbury delegate to the conference, said he could iully endorse all that Mr Best had stated. Ine bott trade was in a terrible state, it was impossible to make a profit. The country- was being flooded by importations to such an extent that even the retailers wer e crying out. The chairman (Mr F. Campbell) : Is the number of employees in the industry decreasing i Mr Best: No, but a lot are only employed part time. J- Sutherland Ross (Dunedin) : Has not a committee set up to go into the whole question? Mr Best: Yes, but the present Government decided to drop th s matter. I am told that there is a possibility of the wt L, n °w being completed. d he Chairman: I feel we cannot do otherwise than give the boot industry oU mi ac^lve co '°P er ation and assistance. Ihe. conference decided to do every* thing in its power to assist.