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LEATHER AND SHOE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION Director: Mr. P. White. Assistant Director: Mr. F. G. Cauoiilby Leather Research Association Advisory Committee.—Messrs. A. E. Lawry (Chairman), C. Arlington, F. Astley S L Wright R. L. Andrew, and F. Johnston. In spite of the many advances which have been made in recent years from the results of world-wide research work carried out on leather-manufacture and allied problems, the basis of the assessment of quality m leather is generally that of personal opinion. In forming this considered opinion the person may unconsciously by sight and feel assess at the same time not only many properties, but also their relative importance. The scientist, on the other hand, in his investigations may only be able to measure one property at a time, without any relation to its importance or the effect it may have on. any other properties of the finished leather. The problem of the scientist is made still more difficult because some of the so-called properties of leather are selling features associated with appearance and with ease of manipulation in the processes of manufacturing the finished leather article and are not associated with qualities desired by the consumer to give good wear. The policy of the Association, adopted in previous years, of taking one property of leather, determining the effects of the various tanning processes 011 it, and at the' same time making efforts to determine its importance to the actual wear of the leather has been continued during the year. During any one year only apparently little progress may be made in such investigations. However, over a number oi years the Association has accumulated valuable information which enables the tanner not only to associate certain properties of leather to definite processes of manufacture, but also give him the information of how to modify these processes to produce a desired change in any property. In other words, the policy of the Association has been an effort to correlate the tanning of leather with the needs of the leather-goods manufacturer and of the ultimate consumer of leather. Abrasion Value of Sole Leather.—The wearing-away of the sole 011 a shoe is the cumulative effect of many causes. One of these is the effect of abrasion— that is, the rubbing of the leather against the rough surface of the ground upon which the wearer walks. Many years ago the abrasion-testing machine was made to test this property of leather of resistance to abrasion. Whilst the abrasion values of sole leather may not be an index of the wear value in all conditions of wear, they have to be studied m the light of the previous statement that the scientist may only be able to measure one property at a time. During the year the study of the effects of processes on the abrasion values of sole leather has been continued. The results of this investigation have not only provided a basis for the actual wear test trials, but also emphasized the importance of the quality of the raw hide in determining the resistance of the leather to abrasion. I< ield 1 rials. The thanks of the Association are due to the Army Department for their continued co-operation in carrying out wear tests at Trentham. As stated previously, the basis of the tests carried out during the year was fixed by the results obtained on the abrasion-testing machine. The time necessary to carry out a trial, whilst unfortunately long from a testing point of view, is an indication of the wearing-qualities of New Zealand sole leather. T lie field triak have been extended to civilian footwear in order to get a wider range of conditions of wear. In this trial the adjacent test soles are being worn by adults and children in the same family. It is hoped 111 this way to obtain information which will help in the vexed problem of children's footwear. Permeability of Leather to Water Vapour.—Leather normally allows water vapour to pass through and by so doing, in the case of a shoe, helps to maintain an even temperature of the foot. From this aspect the permeability of leather to water vapour is an important, function in relation to foot comfort. If perspiration cannot escape through the leather the foot will become hot and uncomfortable. During the year the effect of processes of leather-manufacture of both sole and upper leather on permeability to water vapour have been investigated. This property is not only important from the foot comfort point, of but also from that of the life of the shoe. Perspiration rots leather very quickly. Ihe effects of this rotting on the uppers of shoes are seen in the cracks which form in the creases produced by walking. Monthly Circular Letters.—'One of the activities of the Association is the publishing of a monthly circular letter. This contains reports 011 the results of the investigations carried out by the stall' and workers overseas and discussions of topics of scientific interest to the tanner. During the year circular letter No. 200 was issued. The value attached to these letters not only in New Zealand'but by similar research institutions in other countries shows that these lettters are an important feature of the Association's work. _ Routine Work.—Routine work is often regarded as unimportant, but the usual checks carried out during the year, on factory processes, raw materials, and finished leathers are necessary if the qualitv of production is to be maintained. Shoe Research Association Advisory Committee.—Messrs. W. Denby, P. E. Edwards, W. S. Livingstone, D. I. McDonald and R. L. Andrew. One of the urgent problems facing all industries to-day is that of the best utilization of the man-power available. If the best use is to be obtained, not only must the energy of the worker be carefully directed along the most economic lines but the surroundings in which he works must be such that they will help him to conserve his energy and so give the maximum output for the minimum effort. I his is very important in a shoe-factory, where so much of the worker's energy is used in operating machines m which a high degree of accuracy is essential. This accuracy, which is obtained by visual control, places a great strain on the eyes. If this eye strain, with its resulting effects 011 health and efiiciency, is to be reduced to a minimum, good lighting is essential. Good lighting implies that not only the factory itself should be well lit, but that there is sufficient lighting at the point where the actual operation is being performed. Another source of eye strain is the lack of contrast in colour between the material being worked and the machine and the bench. The elimination of eye strain will add to the comfort of the operator, increase the accuracy of the work carried out, reduce the amount of damage done by inaccurate work, and increase the output.

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