SAVING HUN SOLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1916, Page 8

SAVING HUN SOLES.

WOOD INSTEAD OF LEATHER. Anions tin l many raw materials of which Germany lias boon sorely dojirivcd by the British blockade is leather, immense quantities of hides and skins having always been imported from oversea and also from Russia. Boots and shoes long ago mcniited to the dignity of luxuries, and the newspapers during the past few months have contained many complaints against dealers who sold footwear fitted with pasteboard "solos.'' The ;iown of Charlottonburg. the large and wealthy Berlin residential suburb, has just introduced a so-called "war boot", •'or tlie benefit of the poorer classes. The Government-controlled "LokalAnzeiger'' (May 12) announces that the I'lerman leather trad: has succeeded in producing boots with wooden soles, which are so comfortable that ''they ■an even be worn by people afflicted with libit feet or varicose veins " The Charlottonburg' authorities have decided that in view of the necessity to use all leather for military purposes the use of woodensoled boots and shoes must be popularised. Boys nre said f.o wear the "war hoot" cheerfully, nut women and girls :tre not taking kindly to it.

; MUNITION WORKERS IN ENGLAND. j Munition work sound* very tine and, women receive much praise for it, but there is the other side. An Knglish exi change says:—Think of a day begun at 4 or even H.'W) a.m. for work at B a.m. ■ followed by fourteen hours in tin- faci tory and another two or two and o-half hours on the journey hack, ending at ■ 111 or 1(1.30 p.m. in a home or lodging i where the prevailing degree of overj crowding precludes all possibility of comfortable rest. Beds are never empty ' and rooms are never aired, for In a i badly crowded district the beds, like the | occupants, are organised in day and night shifts. One of the leading maim- ' facfurers of munitions in the country ' worked his women for one year and ' four months seven days a week in 12hour shifts. After considerable nogotia- | tions with the National Federation of j Women Workers I hey reduced the hours ! by one shift a week, giving Saturday oil, | but retaining Sunday labor. The firm ! is now so satisfied with the results in production that they propose to reduce the hours still furlher. In several instances girls have worked Jiirly coneeutive nights without a break. In one ease a woman's working week was !).'! hours, which is. of course, illegal. She '■■ was paid just over 2|d pel hour. In ! another factory the girls worked seven days a week and had one Sunday oil' a ' month. The National Federation of j Women Workers does not mean to rest until it has procured eight-hour .-.hilts : for all women munition workers. There j is sufficient labor, but it needs to be better organised.