THE PRICE OF BOOTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 29, 29 October 1919, Page 10

THE PRICE OF BOOTS

IMPORTED ARTICLE STILL BISIXG. An English buying house, writing to a New Zealand firm of boot importers under date September 1, makes the following comments on the 6tate of tho boot market in England:— "We are sending you this report to inform you of the present position of the boot trado, and which we are sure will give you some idea of the difficulties under which we aro conducting business. Our boot buyer has just returned from a visit to the boot manufacturing centres, where ho has been ascertaining the position of the market. Ho founa that the conditions aro rapidly becoming worse, as. owing to the world shortage of material (particularly fino grain box calf, glace kid, and brown leather), labour troubles, and tho huge Homo and Continental demand, the prices are rising. Manufacturers cannot even quoto firm prices if they have tlio material, as further labour "unrest among workers for increased wages is threatened. "The manufacturers' views are that it will bo a considerable timo Wore conditions become anything like normal, and owing to the existing difficulties they are unable to book many orders, it is not only in this country that the Driccs are advancing; American manufacturers also are now feeling the shortage and are having to contend with, causine a recent advance in their nmccs of 2.50 dollars per nair, and further advances are expected in the near future. They certainly had tho advantago over us during tlio war, with the big stocks of leather which they held, but since tho restrictions hnve_ been someVhat relaxed, they aro gettinsr in the same position as ourselves and have become short of material. "To give you some idea of the position to-day. glace kid and box calf, which cost pre-war about (Id. to Is. 6d. nor foot, is now .about 4s. to 6s. 6d. ner foot, and inferior in quality, which mako» a boot upper, using about 3 feet round, about 12s. to 20s. for leather alone before it is cut. and with everything in the manufacturing up in prico you can nuito understand w;hv the prices Tilling for footwear are so high. "Tho low end roods are not affected to the same extent, as the coarser (Trades of leather are not =o scarce. Common sense will tell oni> that it must be a lone time before there is any rrreat improvement, as leather cannot be made like material, and with" the irreat shortage of animals throughout the world, it must take spver.il v«ars for thincrs ta right themselves. We'would, therefore, sbonfly ndvi° R von not, io hold off orderine vour reouirements. as yon will see ihe tend»iicv is for conditions to become worse instead of better."