DUTY ON BOOTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1619, 10 December 1912, Page 6

DUTY ON BOOTS.

(? OPPOSITION TO INCREASE, A conference of boot and shoe retailers of Wellington was held at the Employers' Association rooms yesterday. Mr. A. Lindsay presided, and there were also present ■ Messrs. M'Kenzie, Pearson, Smith, Mann, Gammell, O'Brien, and Nash. During tho course of a lengthy discussion, the chairman referred to the recent rise in the price of hides, and remark- • ed that the tanners iu Now Zealand onl) produced a very small proportion of tho total amount of the leather required for the needs of the population; and .there were some classes of leather that they did .not manufacture at all. One of the delegates contended that the tanners and manufacturers were combining to havo the tariff raised, so as to force tho retailers to take New Zealand-made boots. ■ . . ■ The chairman said that if the price of the New Zealand-made article was raised it would only lead the way to further importations. He went on to remark that tho general duty ranged from 35 per cent, to 37 per cent,, with an additional llj per cent, on American goods. If tlio manufacturer? in New Zealand could not compete with' that, remarked another member of the conference, it was time lie gave up manufacturing. "They want tlio additional tariff to compel peoplo to biiy tlifir goods, which don't fit, and are out of date," said another ■member of the conference. Eventually the following resolutions were adopted';— - "1. That this meeting, representative of the boot and shoe retailers and importers of Wellington, urge their representatives at the conference to be convened by the Minister for Customs to oppose any increase in the existing tariff, and recommends. that all footwear that cannot lw profitably manufactured in the Dominion b» admitted duty free, or, at most, to bear a 5 per cent, revenue tax, including men's, women's,'and children's slippers, with uppers of any material other than leather, with or without heels, evening shoes, with top pieca or wood heels, goloshes, plimsolls, gum boots, and all other rubber shoes, buckskin boots, and shoes with < leather, rubber, mercury, or chrome soles, and all children's footwear up to size one (inclusive)." "2. That we oppose the injustice of the existing specific duty on all footwear, and in the'best interests of the public generally, strongly recommend its removal, particularly from sucli lines as men's and women's leather slippers, evening -Mid ward shoos, with or without straps." "3. In support of the foregoing resolution this meeting would respectfully direct attention to the following facts;—(a) That the Cost of Living Commission recommend that the existing tariff bo reduced; (b) that the Wellington'operatives huve instructed their delegates of. the forthcoming conference to oppose any further increase in the tariff; (c) that owing to tho high standard of living adopted in this Dominion and the constant change of fashion demanded, we consider it impossible for the.New Zealand.manufacturers to cope with any increased output, owing to the scarcity of skilled labour, both male and female, and w ; e see no prospect of this shortage being combated, due to the favourable conditions of the operatives in other countries, ami the youth of the Dominion not following up tho trade." THE COMING CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press, Association.) , . Christchurch, December 9. The New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Union has appointed the following delegates to represent it at the conference convened by the Minister for Customs to discuss the tarii? in relation to tho boot and shoo trade:—Messrs. S. C. Brown (Dmiedin). C, A. Watta.(Auckland), andG. R. Whiting (ChristchurcM. The federation has decided to ask its representatives to try to secure an export duty on all hides. ' '