The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1913. THE BOOT BILL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 46, 22 February 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1913. THE BOOT BILL.

Statistics show that at tho present day, hides and leather occupy the highest position in price ever known. Tho severe and sustained rises of the last few years have been remarkable; and, for tho future, there seems no prospect of any easing of price. -Not only in New Zealand does this position obtain, but in every quarter of the world. Where the general public . comes in is that higher prices must very shortly be faced for all classes of leather goods. Boots are already sharing in this movement—either prices are advancing of- the quality of the line is being, reduced. In either case, there can only bo a less return for the same money. It has I been pointed out by a leading mauu- > i facturer that of recent years tho rise •| in the price of boots has been gradual. I In tho report on tho Cost of Living | Commission, it is stated that from 1991 to 1911 the rise in price was as from 100 to 119. Wages and raw material have equally been rising, and tho increases granted have raised the boot and shoo industry from one of the worst paid in the Dominion to third on the list of merit for high wages. At the present time tho boot and shoo industry in New Zealand pays all workers (both sexes) an average of £9O per worker per annum, as against £70.1 in Australia. It is now stated that so far tho rise in wages in tho boot industry over this, past period has not caused any appreciable additional burden to bo borne by the public. Tho boot manufacturers, by an entire alteration of system, by increased specialisation, and by the closest supervision, have been able to effect such economies as practically to absorb the extra cost of wages imposed, and higher wages have been equalised by greater efficiency. But the limit has now been reached, and we are told authoritatively that owing to tho world’s shortage of leather and tho consequent increased rates, boots must advance proportionately, for the industry has reached its maximum power of absorbing and adjusting increases without penalising tho consumer. PASSING SHOWS. That cheery optimist—“Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford”—forgot to stop at Strat-

ford this trip. Those people who look upon such visitations as baneful and bad for trade owing to the loose silver which departs with, the mummers, are full of joy, and fondly hope the haughty management will keep on passing by. A thousand or so of other people, who occasionally like to go to a good play, were sorry nob to be able to see the piece. It is rather odd to sort out the reasons assigned for a certain proprietary’s shows not bringing their wares along as oi old. One is alleged to be the weather—it rains occasionally. Another is that the people will not book seats in advance (though the house is usually pretty full when the curtain rises) and managers have a palpitating time. A third assigned cause is the inelasticity of municipal control and the fact that if the showman wants a few hundred more seats jammed in than usual he has to root round and collect them, instead of the Council providing for such emergencies. Other reasons given over the sparkling lemonade are too paltry and personal and piffling to publish—and probably are not true anyhow. Stratford usually treats a good show well: it has been more than kind to quite a lot of middling ones. Jf the former come along it will still treat them well and if they don’t it won’t matter much anyhow. But all the managers are such good fellows that we hope they will occasionally blow in and give some more reasons. THE DECIMAL SYSTEM. The Decimal Association of New Zealand, a body little heard of, has 'eminded us of its existence by asking support in the effort to introduce t.he decimal system with regard to coinage and weights and measures. F>r quite long enough the great advantages of adopting such a system throughout the commercial world, have been recognised, but the dislike felt to making such a radical change and the confusion that for a while would follow, have always acted against any such suggestion. In many countries the decimal system is employed entirely, and the simplicity of calculation under such method makes <: or both speed and accuracy. We wish tho Association success in its efforts, but old customs are extremely hard to break down and to Britishers such a revolutionary change would be almost too violent to contemplate. There fore wo fear effort will be wasted. HOW HE WAS CURED. The San Francisco “Argonaut” quotes MrE. G. Jellicoe, “a prominent English lawyer and Radical politician,” not unknown in this country, as it® authority for the rather startling statement that New Zealand is “a hell upon earth.” According to the San Francisco journal, Mr Jellicoe once came to New Zealand prepared to find an industrial ’ and social heaven, and he found the opposite. He found that the Arbitration Act had brought about industrial chaos, and that labour legislation in- , tended to victimise the capitalist had so far driven capital out of the country that development was at a standstill, and people had been reduced to the verge of want. The “Arbitration Boards” had created a host of officials who had neither the character nor the inclination to resist the enormous and opposing pressures brought to bear on them by interested parties. The most remarkable result of Socialist legislation was a new mania for sport and a hatred for everything above the sporting level. The superior mind was everywhere regarded as a hostile social force, and any head that raised itself intellectually or socially above the level became the target for kicks. The avowed object of the Labour Party was to drag everything and everybody down to its own coarse level. The result of this deplorable state of affairs was to cure Mr Jellicoe of all his Radical leanings. “I have determined henceforward,” he is quoted as saying, “to resist to the utmost the detestable and abominable crusade which is being waged in this country (Britain) to achieve a similar upheaval by fostering and making political capital of class prejudice and destroying the institutions of which the country is so 1 justly proud.” Yet (comments the Lyttelton Times) there are people who will be unkind enough to suspect that Mr Jellicoe’s desertion of Radicalism in this country and of Liberalism at Home was due to quite another cause than the abuse of opportunities and power by the progressive political parties.