SOLE LEATHER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 225, 17 June 1920, Page 6

SOLE LEATHER

SHORTAGE OP SUPPLIES,

Bootmakers in New Zealand have been complaining for somo time of the shortage of leather suitable for boot soles. A deputation representative of retail bootmakers waited on the .Minister of Customs yesterday with a Tequest that in view of the shortage of this class of leather tho present import duty of twopence per pound on' leather should be remitted. The deputation, which " was introduced by Mr. E. A. Wright, M.P., presented n petition signed by somo 370 retailers throughout New Zealand,

It was stated on behalf of tho deputation that there wore not sufficient hides in New Zealand of the right weight to produce sole leather required for boot manufacture in this country. Tho result had been, nnd particularly since the war, that 'bootmakers had been compelled to use for soles leather much too light for this duty. It was urged that if the request were granted the New Zealand makers of leather would not suffer, because even in pre-war times it had been the custom of the trado to import English leather for soles, and for tanners to import heavy hides. The Minister, in reply, said that the question of revision of tao tariff was now before Cabinet, but it was improbable that anything would be done by .way of legislation during next session of Parliament, He hoped that the tariff revision .proposals would be considered by Parliament next year. In the meantime it was intended that a Board of Inquiry, consisting of Customs experts, should go into all tariff matters, and the representations of the deputation would be placed on record in order ihat tbey might be put before tho board. Also, the people interested would probably be given an opportunity of giving evidence or otherwise placing their views before tho board.