British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 1020

CHAPTER XXVI.

a Leather Centre was created to which tanners were compelled to sell all their leather at rates fixed by the Control. The Leather Centre's selling price to manufacturers (of both Army and civilian shoes) was also fixed. In April, 1942, the Defence (Control of Cattle Hides and Leather) Order" was enacted, empowering the Control to adjust these prices in accordance with the fluctuations on the world market, and also to instruct the Leather Centre as to the distribution of its stocks.

96. Utility shoes. Prices of footwear rose during 1940/41 and, to counteract this, a Utility footwear scheme was introduced in January, 1942, and a number of manufacturers chosen to supply the ci vi! market with a comparatively cheap standard type of shoe. These manufacturers were given the assurance that the necessary quantities of leather and grindery would be made available to them at fixed prices for the manufacture of these Utility shoes, whilst the public was assured that a guaranteed standard of workmanship would be maintained by the supervision of experts and inspectors. The profit of the manufacturers was fixed at 10% and the profit of the retailers at 16-20%. The introduction of Utility shoes at about 70% of the accepted retail price brought about a general drop in the prices of shoes, and, at present, Utility shoes account for the production and sale of 25-30% of all Palestine made footwear.

(c) Paper, stationery and office equipment, and books.

97. Paper, office machinery, stationery and office equipment were brought under control in July, 1942, although a limited degree of control had been exercised for some months previously by the Government Printer acting as Deputy Controller of Supplies (Paper). Annual imports of paper (excluding newsprint) and cardboard had, before the war, been in the region of 10,000 and 2,000 tons respectively. This had been cut to about a quarter during the first two years of the war, the annual quota fixed by the Middle East Supply Centre and put into effect from 1943, totalled 1,180 tons for the two commodities together.

98. The Defence (Control of Paper) Order 1942 ** restricted the use of paper for numerous purposes, e.g., it prohibited wrapping (except foodstuffs) and the printing of directories or guidebooks; limited the size of posters and prohibited the publication of trade circulars, or the insertion of advertising leaflets in packings; prohibited the production of numerous articles (such as view-cards
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* Laws of 1942, Vol. II, page 662.
** Laws of 1942, Vol. III, page 1126.

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