BOOT INVASION OF AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 4

BOOT INVASION OF AMERICA

PLANS OF BRITISH MAKERS. s Boot makers and boot sellers from all ■oouiitries of tho world gathered recently' at tho Royal Agricultural Hall for tho nineteenth Shoe and leather Fair, which immediately followed -the introduction ■ of -tho riew American tariff which has • removed the 15 per Oo.nt; duty en boots'and shofis, and was also' coinc-idenb. with roiuarlfa'ble sctiyity iii the British trade. Since tho British manufacturer responded to tho stimtrius of' American compotition so-mo four years'ago and beat the Americans iii their own country the progress of tho British boob industry lias boon amazing., and'still greater development's, aro expcctod iii. tho immediate future. Sino: it was aimouticed that tl'io Aismrican duty wotiH : be*-dropped the British; maiuifactuMrs have quietly made thoi-r proparations for an invasion of Arterica-;. * and. largo shipments aro expected shortly. ■ ■■! ■ • hero .lias for somo ti-me becn a -de-', ma-iid In' America iot. 'the very -best typo l ' of English boot oil tho, part, of., the wealthiest Americans, to whom the in-ciden-co of the tariff made little difference. The present preparations, are for sales on a much larger scale. ' The British bootmaker is now preparing to capture tho custom of the* American middle-class consumer and tho American wor.khi-g man-. This represents ail enormous market., and as sooft as ashort experience has sholra the American buyer tho superiority of the British boot it is expected that -a groat proportion of .this markqt : will bo captured. '

One -eifoet-of -these preparations is a "boom" in tho sales of British bootmaking machinery, which, is also admitted free Wider the . revised tariff. The machinery section forms a considerable paVt of tno Pair, and a largo number of American bootmakers and their .representatives were present with tho object of acquiring British-rtiado ihae'iißiory for tlieir factories, / - The growth in tho boot and shoo industry has taken place in the face of a persistent increase iii tho price o-f leather. - According to aft authority the leather required for an ordinary gtiinea boat- costs about a shilling more than it did tli'reo or four years ago. So acute- has this question bocoi.no that slice retailers attending tho Fair were irivited to mark a voting-curd, which contained tho .following, questions:— "Do yon de>sirp old. standards and qualities to bo maintained in your goods-, and the increased cost charged on them?., "Or— "Do .you desire old prices to be maintained (as- near as possible) and qualities cut 'down to' meet theso prices?" Tho flower of British bootmakihg was shown at the tfair in a specimen of the- new' Army boot. This has been de-signed by the Army Clothing Department and approved by the Chief Inspector of Boots. Mindful of,the fact that, in spito of epigrams -to the contrary, an artfiy marches upon its feet, the authorities have created a boot which- represents • t.ho acme of comfort- and durability. ■ The old stylo of Army boot is of tlie Bhichcr typfe, white tno new. boot is a "Derby shooter," and .is claimed to be ' the finest hoot of its kind iii the world, i