asked the President of the Board of Trade the reason for the short supply of suitable leather for manufacture into footwear for the export market; to what extent he estimates that hides of the quality required are available in the world's markets but lost to this country because open licence to buy is not granted and bulk buying is not a suitable method of buying in competition with buyers of other countries.

I do not consider that the supplies of suitable leather available for footwear for export are inadequate. Imports of hides and skins generally are limited for currency and supply reasons and not by the method of procurement