THE EVOLUTION OF THE LEATHER INDUSTRY 199 



South African wattle bark has during the last few years 

 replaced almost completely, and probably to a large extent 

 permanently, Turkish valonia. There has also been great 

 increase in the imports of Indian kips and of South African 

 hides, and it is not at all an impossible proposition to main- 

 tain a self-contained Imperial leather Trade, should this be 

 necessary. French chestnut extract, and quebracho extract, 

 however, are much too valuable tanning materials to exclude 

 for merely sentimental reasons. These instances indicate 

 possible advantages in Imperial co-operation, but also show 

 the need for caution in the elaboration of such schemes. 



Although a partial, and indeed increasing, measure of 

 State Control is probable, there has been as yet no serious 

 proposal to nationalize the leather industry. Such a pro- 

 position, indeed, is hardly ripe even for discussion. Until 

 the nationalization of transport and of mines is a proved 

 success, and until the merely distributive undertakings of 

 the municipalities (e.g. of coal and of milk and other foods) 

 are past the experimental stage, any proposition to nationalize 

 the leather trades seems premature. It is noteworthy, 

 however, that in Queensland, Australia, the Government have 

 the right to commence and to administer State Tanneries. 



Any progress in the direction either of democratization 

 or of nationalization, has been certainly postponed by the 

 sudden and unprecedented trade slump which commenced 

 in the earlier part of 1920. This depression, in spite of heavy 

 falls in the prices of raw materials, has made economic 

 production a much more difficult problem. It has un- 

 doubtedly given a further stimulus to evolution towards the 

 trust type, and created a further tendency towards the closing 

 of the smaller factories, and the employment of labour-saving 

 devices. When the general fall in prices has made an appreci- 

 able fall in the cost of living, some reduction in the leather- 

 workers' wages, together with more efficient work, will also 

 contribute to the solution of the difficulty. It is chiefly to 

 be desired, however, that the export trade should be restored. 

 The realization of this hope depends largely upon the 

 establishment of peace and prosperity abroad, and the con- 

 sequent stabilization of the various foreign exchanges. 



