ALLEGED LOCAL SHODDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2156, 12 August 1907, Page 3

ALLEGED LOCAL SHODDY.

REVELATIONS IN THE BOOT TRADE. Wellington boot importers are conlucting an active campaign against ;ho revised tariff as far as it relates -e the articles they deal with in -heir business, states the Wellington icrrespondant of the Lyttelton Times. I'hey have gone to the expense of preparing a booklet describing over a score of imported and colonial made boots and shoes, which were to he inspected by the Minister of Customs and a number of members. I have been favoured with an advance ropy of this booklet, which contains startling reading if it is true. A representative of the importers : s stated to have bought in Wellington a number of New Zealand-made boots, .which yielded the secret of their composition by the summary process :,f being cut up. These, ore some of the remarkable descriptions given:— “Mens boots —prico to the wearer 8s 9;1 Observe the paper in this exhibit, and t'lie shoddy stuff l igbt through. Even at this price this is the most wicked example of shoddy in these special exhibits.” “Exhibit 101 —a woman’s boot, pmeo to the wearer 8s 6d. Note.—The uppers in this boot are. bad enough, whilst I the inside is mostly paper. X—women’s chronic slipI per—price to the wearer 4s lid per I paii—What about the paper in this I exhibit?” I “Exhibit—a man’s chrome boot. I —cost to the wearer 10s 6d per pair 1 —just look at the .paper in this boot, I and this, remember is sold to the I working manl” I “Special exhibit ll—men’s split

blucher. The cost to the wearer is 5s lid. What about the bull’s wool and paper in this little lot? This is the boot sold to the wharf laborer, 1 bricklayer, fireman and the poorest of the artisan class. Ye gods! and yet the trade and labor men are always howling about the shoddy imported goods which, after all, are but I an infinitesimal proportion of the boots and shoes imported into New Zealand, and the worst of them will com-

pare more than favourably with any

of the local lot. All these special oxhibits were purchased in Wellington quite recently in the open market, and were taken from the shelf.”