WHY BOOTS ARE DEAR.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 June 1918, Page 7

WHY BOOTS ARE DEAR.

WHOLESALE PROFITEERING BY CURERS OF LEATHER. Many people have been wondering why boots which before the war could be bought for a few shillings, have now doubled and trebled in price. Perliups after perusing the following extract from the "Shoe Trades journal" they will cease to wonder: — "It may almost be taken for granted that the recent wholesale reduction in the prices of the vast majority of sole leather tannages will meet with a storm of protest from those"" tanners immediately concerned. We can br£y hope that those tanners whose prices have been reduced by anything above 6d lb. will be able to prove in" the appeal, which they are in honour almost ound to make, that the reduction is far greater than it ought to be, otirrrwise they can hardly escape the charge of scandalous profiteering. "In one tannery alone the excess profit has amounted to about £IOOO a week, if the Government figures be confirmed. Even after deducting uie excess profits tax the surplus net profit was in that case £2OO a week, and this is not the time for piling up- fo.» tunes, although we agree that all industries must be allowed Reasonable profits, even in time of war."