SUPPLIES OF CIVILIAN FOOTWEAR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 191, 11 May 1944, Page 6

SUPPLIES OF CIVILIAN FOOTWEAR

Frank Statement On Position DIFFICULTIES FACED AND OVERCOME Notwithstanding the scarcity of some essential materials, the transfer of hundreds of skilled operatives, to the Armed Forces, and the diversion of numbers of others to the production of some two million pairs of military footwear, New Zealand has maintained the supplies of civilian footwear, both in quantity and quality, in a way that lias not been excelled, and probably not equalled, in any other English-speaking country. Compared with each ,100 pairs of leather footwear produced in 1938-

39, 152 pairs of children’s, 130 pairs of civilian, and 173 pairs of all classes of leather footwear were produced in 1942-43. The total production of leather footwear in 1942-3 amounted to 3,427,297 pairs, compared with 1,978,035 pairs in 1938-39,

an increase of 1,449,262 pairs! From time to time, complaints, some of which no doubt have been quite legitimate, have been voiced concerning the quality of footwear. The public may rest assured that the causes of such complaints, in so far as they may arise out of avoidable defects in manufacture, are a matter of no less concern to the manufacturers, the workers in the industry, and to the Government, all of which the Footwear Industrial Plan Committee represents, than it is to the general public. Consequently complaints that have been brought to the nbtice of the authorities concerned, with few exceptions, upon investigation, have been found to be due to some deficiency in material or workmanship, on account of difficulties arising out of scarcity, or absence, of the most suitable materials, such as rubber, linen thread, adhesive solutions and bend leather, which has necessitated the use of substitutes. These difficulties have been accentuated by the diversion of skilled operatives to the production of military boots and shoes, and by the transfer of some hundreds of other operatives to the armed forces. In some cases, of course, the methods and processes of manufacture which had proved quite satisfactory when an ample supply of the most suitable materials was available, have proved to b. inadequate when used in the manufacture of shoes in which substitute materials were employed as a matter of wartime necessity. Unfortunately, some of the defects have been revealed only after the footwear has been worn. In the meantime, a considerable quantity may have been produced in which the incidence of such defects would be higher than would normally occur. The cause of such defects frequently involves technical problems, the nature of which it is not possible to explain fully in a published statement. Indeed, some of them have baffled technical experts, both in the industry and Hie Government service, who have worked conscientiously over anxious weeks, first to find the cause of the defects and subsequently to find a satisfactory remedy. Sometimes what has appeared to have been the cause has proved to have been only partially so, -with the result that the search for the complete solution had had to be continued.

Causes Of Complaints Remedied.

These circumstances applied particularly to the use of fibre board in footwear. This material has for many years been successfully used in the manufacture of high-class footwear all over the world; and, indeed, is required by the British army footwear specifications. However, after a year or two of war it was found that some of the imported fibre board was of inferior quality. This was not noticed until the footwear in which it was used failed to give satisfactory service, whereupon the Government took the matter up with' the manufacturers through the Footwear Industrial Plan Committee, with the result that the use of fibre board ■• as quickly discontinued. In fairness to ihe manufacturers it should be said that they were no less definite in their view concerning the necessity to avoid the use of this inferior material, than were the responsible Government authorities. Some manufacturers, indeed, discarded thousands of pounds worth of this inferior material. It will be seen, therefore, that, in this instance, the remedial nieastires were adopted as quickly and effectively as was possible after the defects became known. Position With Sandals.

In the compulsory changeover from rubber to leather it is freely admitted that sole stitching did present a manufacturing problem. However, manufacturers quickly discovered that the attaching of leather soles by tlie Veldtschoen method required different treatment from soles fitted with rubber. New and suitable .parts were at the earliest, possible moment fitted to the making machines, with reasonably satisfactory results. This serves to illustrate that what would appear a simple matter, such as u change over from rubber to leather, soles, caused cumulative difficulties of a nature that the general public could not be expected to appreciate. Much the same may be said of the substitute adhesives which were the best available though niu“h inferior to what had been previously used. The demand for bend leather, and particularly for the best bend leatli r. for military boots in turn was such that the supplies available for civilian footwear were seriously limited. Add to these difficulties the scarcity of skilled labour, and particularly of key operatives, mid it will be seen that the ihdustrv mid lhe Government have been confronted with very real problems in their endeavours to maintain an adequate supply of quality footwear for civilians under wartime conditions. _ This statement of the position is made so that the public which is vitally interested iq the quality of footwear, may be informed of the real facts of the*position. It will also expose as a perversion of the facts, the statements that the industry aud the Government have remained aloof or indifferent to the public interest. Difficulties Overcome.

The difficulties which the industry has had to overcome, and which have been responsible for a somewhat higher incidence of defects, have been, and are, freely acknowledged. It should be emphasized, however, that it would Ih> easy to over-estimate the incidence of defects. This is well illustrated by the fact Unit for the year 1943 the total leather footwear manufactured for girls, maids, boys, youths and infants amounted to 905,975 pairs, so that, if 1 per cent, were defective, this would represent 9.690 pairs of defective footwear. which would be sufficient to occasion widespread concern and complaint. On the other hand, the position would still be that'for every one pair of defective shoes produced there would be ninety-nine which gave satisfactory service. Even one defective pair in a thousand would still mean 969 defective pairs, but this position is brought Into proper perspective only when it is realized that, in this case, for each one pair of defective footwear there would be 999 giving satisfactory service.

No effort lias been, or will be. spared Io overcome those difficulties. aud to reduce the defects to an absolute minimum. So far as can be judged at the moment, these efforts appear to have been'reasonably successful. It is,

nevertheless, true that the defective footwear manufactured and distributed to the trade before thp defects had been observed and remedied, remains on the market for a considerable period after the trouble has been overcome. This could easily create the erroneous impression that steps had not been taken to deal with the matter, although iu many cases this would have been done months before such defective footwear was purchased and used. Therefore, to interpret the position as a deliberate perpetration'of fraud and exploitation, is a gross misrepresentation. Position Better In New Zealand Than In Other Countries. Evidence coming forward from other countries clearly points to the conclusion that whatever difficulties we may have experienced in New Zealand, the supply of footwear, both in the matter of quantity and quality, has been maintained here in a way that has not been excelled, and probably not equalled, in any other English-speaking country. Trade journals and the daily press from overseas contain frequent references to higher incidence of footwear defects, and even to a serious decline in quality, which has occurred due to war conditions. Many letters, for instance, appear in the English press ventilating complaints concerning soles becoming detached from the uppers of shoes within a week or two of their being worn; of soles wearing through in equally short periods, and of other deficiencies which render it difficult to keep children shod. These complaints, indeed, reveal a much more serious decline in qualitv than has occurred in New Zealand, in addition to which there appears to be a much more serious shortage of supplies of footwear than is the case here. The position in New Zealand in regard to price increase is much more advantageous to the people of this country,' since our prices, where New Zealand materials are used, have increased by less than 20 per cent, whereas children’s shoes produced in England appear to have increased in price by from 100 to 200 per cent. Notwithstanding that there have been numbers of causes for legitimate complaints concerning defective footwear, almost entirely confined to children s shoes and sandals, the facts of the position reveal that the manufacturers, the workers in the industry, and the Government have a great deal co their credit for the way in which the supplies of footwear have been maintained over an extremely difficult period. Much Attention Given To Quality. Constant attention has been given to maintaining adequate quality, as well as quantity, as is soundly evidenced hj the fact that New Zealand is the first country to have adopted standard specifications for footwear which establish requirements relating to the materials, components and workmanship that must enter into footwear claiming compliance with these standards. The facts of the position as set out in this statement, it is confidently believed, will satisfy a fair-minded public that consistent endeavours have been nude to afford the fullest satisfaction, and that, with the degree of success attained, merits the approbation of all reasonable aud responsible itcople.— Published by the Footwear Industrial Plan Committee.