Home Industry and Commerce Commercial Illegal Footwear Competition – Boot Trade and Blackleg Repairing

Illegal Footwear Competition – Boot Trade and Blackleg Repairing

February 1919

Leeds Mercury – Wednesday 05 February 1919

Illegal Footwear Competition

Boot Trade and Blackleg Repairing

Complaint was made at yesterday’s meeting of the Doncaster and District Boot Trades Association of unfair and alleged illegal competition by people who are not legitimately in the trade, and who do repairs in spare time.

The Secretary (Mr T.Steel) said that Thurnscoe and Goldthorpe had always been hornet’s nest for blackleg boot repairing, and for miners taking this work. The association had three members there at present, and could get about eleven good tradesmen in from that district if the “ousted-the snob sticks.”

Men who were miners up to the signing of the armistice were now taking boot repairing without consulting the National Service people all or obtaining the necessary licence, from them. The Chairman (Mr. W, H. Croft), of Bentley said these people were liable to prosecution if they opened shop without first obtaining a licence, and they could compelled to-close. It was decided ask the executive to deal with such cases