HIGH PRICE OF FOOTWEAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 297, 11 September 1919, Page 5

HIGH PRICE OF FOOTWEAR

"FARMERS REAPING A RICH HARVEST." By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent. Wanganui, September 10. Tho advancing price of footwear and tho alleged exploitation of the public by tanners has been the cause of much adverse criticism lately. Mr. W. J. Polson made somo pertinent remarks about tho matter at a meeting of , Fordell inr-mc-re last night. He explained that the whole trouble had arisen through . tho Board of Trade's commandeer of hides Tho position at present was that all hides were sent info the sales, where tho tanners had the right to select the best hides at the rato fixed by tho Board ot Trade. Tho remainder wero then put up to auction, and so keen was the demand of the exporters that what wis left aftor tho tanners had taken what they wanted brought much higher prices than those fixed by tho Board of trade Tim commandeer had been niado on tho understanding that tho bootmakers would bo able to turn out a standard boot at a reasonable figure. This standard boot had never materialised, but on tho contrary tho price of footwear had gone up higher than ever. . If, was a strange anomaly that the price of boots in Australia, whoro hides cost three times as much as in New Zealand, was much lower than in New Zealand It was finite evident that'tho bootmakers wero not getting tho benefit, but tho tanners were reaping a rich harvest at tho expense of tho fanners and the public. All damaged hides were discarded at tho sales, and it was mi open secret that many small butchers wero. purposely slicing and damaging the hides, as the damaged ones brought higher prices than those fixed by the Board of T rado for tho best hides. It was high timo, said the speaker, that the Government took strong action in the matter. |