BOOT TRADE QUIET.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1920, Page 5

BOOT TRADE QUIET.

NO CHRISTMAS DEMAND.' UNEMPLOYMENT HREATENED. Christchureh, Nov. 23. The boot manufacturer's lot is, not a happy one at present. At this time of the year the factories should be going at lull speed in preparation for the Christmas season's trade, but instead of being the busiest time of the year it is now one of the slackest, One representative manufacturer asserted . that Sor the last twenty years trade had never been so quiet before, not even in the vcciignised slack periods. Moreover, immediate relief is not in sight, ( and things will probably get worse before they improve. The outlook for. the 600 men and girls engaged in Christchureh boot factories is, therefore, Cm from bright. Overtime is usually necessary in November and December, but this yeaT short time and temper- • (ivy discharges have been the order of the day. , The employees recently presented fresh wiges demands including £6 wjekly, with 15a bonus Ut journeymen, aad a dominion Conciliation Council will meet at Wellington on Friday next to disouss this and other demands. When interviewed, leading factory directors were agreed that the unexpected slump in, the industry was caused mainly by the grc.t importations from Austin (it, and cceondly, by the public, either through fc.momy or expectation of later lower prices refrainini; f-om purchasing hoots for the time being. Factories and rel«i shops ace veil stocked, but frf.tn Auckland to the Bhiff' travellers report 'noil.ng doiiv,-" m Hie way of orders from retailers. Rome bootmakers believe that the 6lump is temporary, but others declare that the industry in the Dominion wiil always be handicapped unless the tariff against importations gives greater protection. It is claimed that this increased tariff should not necessarily (nean higher prices to the public, as the greater the volume of trade done and the lesser the proportion of overhead and establishment charges, the' more economic is the production. It is also *aid that most of the imported Aus- i tralian boots are inferior in quality to ■< the New Zealand article, and, although lower in first cost, are really dearer in the long run.