STANDARDISED BOOTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 209, 29 May 1919, Page 4

STANDARDISED BOOTS

:♦ , . SCHEME STILL HELD UP. Those standardised Jjoote which were promised to the jrcople of New Zealand some nine months ago are not yet available, and there is yet a possibility that tho echomo will not go through, although the Board of Trade has been trying very hard to set it in operation. There was much difficulty at first in the standardisation of tii'e prico of hides. This difficulty was settled finally only a few w«eks ngo. When the price of hides was fixed the prices of manufacture had, to be fixed in order to determine , celling prices , . These have not yet been satisfactorily fixed, and when they are settled there will be some other difficulties incidental to the placing of the boots on tho market. If all these difficulties can be got over, and tho boot manufacturers can Iμ induced to make the- 'boo'ts, and eoiuo traders can bo induced to sell them at the controlled prices, the scheme may go through, but tho difficulties have not yet bonu surmounted.

It is understood that the prices suggested by tho manufacturers are not considered to bo satisfactory. Means may be discovered for getting the boots at lower prices, by tlip'talling of tenders for quantity production of certain lines, for instance. This part of the problem is under consideration. It appeal's that the manufacturers do not want the scheme. They do not want to concentrate on the making of a few lines, as would bfl necessary for the success of a standardisation scheme, and they wish to go on making ovory class of footwear.

The problem of distribution present? iusl as sorious difficulties. It is well known that the wholesale houses have to carry email traders by giving long credits. The manufacturers could.not do this, and unless the Government can persuade the wholesale houses to take over the standardised boots, some scheme of finance wilt have to 'bo developed. At present the Government has no power to use State funds for the development of any business in this way. It may not be generally understood that tire Government exceeded i|>3 legal rights when it opened a meat shop in Auckland, but this was so. (The sum required would bo by, way of loan only, but the amount would be considerable.