THE TARIFF ON BOOTS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8883, 7 August 1907, Page 2

THE TARIFF ON BOOTS.

Per Press Association. Wets, isqton, August G. The Minister of Labour to-night received a deputation from the Wellington Boot Operatives Society in regard to the tariff. The deputation urged on the Minister the necessity of standing hard and fast to the proposals brought forward and hoped the Minister would do his best to carry them through Parliament. It had been said by a former deputation that the proposals would increase the duty on shoes largely worn by the children of the working clashes, bub that was not true, as the figures sot forth by the importers were not reliable. Government’s proposals not only meant full employment to the trade, but they would put tho industry on a fair footing. The proposals would not only protect tho workers in the, trade but t’>o public as well, for they would get a boot out of which they would have more faithful service, oven although they did pay Gd more for it. Mr Millar said his proposals had been brought forward after mature consideration. His inquiries had elicited tho fact that in tho local boot trade skilled workmen wore receiving 35s 4d as an .average wage during the last five years, and that with constant employment. Tho whole of his information went to show that a very shoddy class of boot, absolute rubbish, was"being imported which when put into tho window at a cheap price seemed to, appeal to the people as an article worth buying. He had, however, also had samples of Colonial manufacture which wore a disgrace to the country. But what occurred K Unless wo banded over our trade to tho sweaters themselves it was absolutely necessary for our workers to start on cheap lines of articles if they were to keep pace with outside competition. Ho did not want to drive a shilling’s worth of labour out of the colony. “We don’t intend to go back on our tariff ouo iota,” said tho Minister, “except ia regard to felt shoos and India rubber shoes not manufactured in the colony. That is going to bo considered by my colleagues. With reference to boots, shoes, and ordinary leather slippers the tariff you’vo got is the tariff Government intends to pass. Tho whole object has been first of all to find work for our own people. We are not going in for a purely protective tariff but wo aro putting forward a tariff which wo believe will place several industries in this country on ft much better footing than they aro at present. So far as Government is concerned it is our intention to endeavour as far as it lies in our power to maka those resolutions tho law of tho country.”