BOOT INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16430, 25 January 1919, Page 12

BOOT INDUSTRY.

AN EXPERT'S COMMENTS. At a dinner held at Dunodin on Thursday night, in connexion with the annual meeting of the New Zealand Bootmakers' Association, the toast of "Our Association" was proposed by Mr D. 13. Theomin. He said that tho Association had been formed about J3O years ago. His recollection of its infancy and growth was that a vast amount of good was achieved bjr its past presidents, notably Mr J. A. Frostick. the late Mr A. fl. Bridger, and Mr C. A. Coles. They owed a great deal to Mr Frostick, lor it was unquestionable that ho engineered the infant Association through its struggles, first with the Conciliation Council, and later with the Arbitration Court. Those of the compaiiy present- whose memory took them back sufficiently far would recollect that one of the earliest members of the Conciliation Council was the late Mr G. I'. Farquhar, whoso efforts to soe that the workers generally received a fair deal were recognised throughout tho length and breadth of the Dominion. Mr Farquhar was ever a willing worker for tho common good. Oi : course, thoy wore aware that the world was full of willing people—some willino" to work and the rest willing to let tlirm. The work of the Association was naturally almost unending, but, in j his opinion, there were two questions <jvhich would most Certainly force them- ] selves upon their notice ore they were. very much older. The o.ne most in- : si stent was tho demand of labour for : shorter hours and increased wages, whilst, paradoxical as it might seem, it was the representatives of Labour who were the loudest in thoir cry for a reduced cost of living. Personally, lie was of opinion, that this inoro;ise<l cost in regard to boots was in the first place duo to an admittedly world shortago of cattle. The manufacturers m America and the Old World must have leather, consequently their competition for New Zealand hides had forced up and was continuing to force up. the prico in the Dominion. Owing to there being a free oxport of hides, the tanners of Now Zealand had to iftte the world values or close their tanneries, and as Australian sidos were fotcbing to-day in London up to 4s p£?r lb, it could easily be seen that the tanneries in New Zealand were up against what might be termed a "tough proposition." Tho freo export of hideß worked in exactly the same way as did, and docs, the free export of butter, of cheese, and of their .produce generally. Tho results wero great wealth to tho squatters and largo producers, with greatly increased cost of living to the public of New Zealahd, tho majority of whom, ho took leave to say, wero of tlio wage-earning class. Had it ever occurred to somo of tho critics that salted hides, costing at auction Is per lb, mean Is (id per lb for, woight of leather produced, and this without any addition whatever for labour, for bark, for electric or steam power, or for any single article required in tho production. Tho second question which ho felt sure would engage tho attention of tho Government, and consequently of tho Association, after tho next general election, would be tariff reform. It was over this question that a united front would be of the fire a test and most vital importance. Individual interests would havo to he put aside and mnde subservient to tho general welfare. Before asking them to drink to the toast he would like them to join in support of an arithmetical proposition which Jie would put to them. It was this: Addition to our trade, multiplication to our factories, subtraction to taxes, and rerlurtion to all forms of snobbeiy and jobbery.