Footwear Industry Now On Its Own Feet

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1949, Page 5

Footwear Industry Now On Its Own Feet

WELLIXGTOX, August 4. By a notice gazetted tonight, the manufacture of footwear has been delicensed. "This-," said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Nordnieyer, "is in liue with Government policy in relation to the licensing of industry. It is not intended that protection afforded industry by licensing, should be permanent but that it should remain only long enough to euable an industry to establish itself firmly and form an adequate organisation for managing its own affairs." In the publie interest the footwear industrv had been brought under the Industrijil Efficiencv Act in September, 1939, and over the past ten years had become firmly established and was now able to supply all but a snmll part of New Zealand 's requirements of leatheT footwear. DuTing the war years the industry •had made a fine contribution to New Zealand 's war effort by the manufacture of 3,250,000 pairs of footwear. The Minister said that the decision to delicence tlie industry was reached after discussion with the footwear plan industrial committee and Xew Zealand Footwear Manufacturers' Federation. It was hoped that many of the benefits of licensing would be carried on. b}' the federation. Efforts to maintain them would Ifave Government support and the industry would continue to have .the benefit of the Government 's import seleetion policy.