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Combine in Appeal to wages are the single, most im- portant force behind the flood of footwear imports". It calls for easing of duty on components used by Canadi- an shoe manufacturers; i im- port controls and a correction of federal sales tax applica- tions. Import taxes, said the brief, are based on market value in countries of origin -- giving low-wage areas a definite ad- vantage over Canadian produ- cers. Among statistics cited are those for the period between 1956 and 1969. In this period Canada's pop- ulation increased by 5,300,000 (33 per cent) while Canadian footwear production decreas- ed by 810.000 pairs (one per cent). Footwear imports in- creased by 39,200,000 pairs (568 per cent). Further, the decline in Ca- nadian leather footwear was Ottawa mosf evident late in 1969 and January of this year. The as- sociation claims the situation will worsen. In terms of "Market share", Canadian footwear production fell from 58.7 per cent in 1968 to 55 per cent in 1969. It is expected to drop to 50 per cent this year and under 50 per cent in 1971. Noting that "jobs shouldn't be sacrificed to unfair wage competiton", the submisssion claims that Canadian produc- tivity in the footwear industry- is 35 per cent higher than in countries belonging to t h e European Common Market. "In 1968, each Canadian footwear employee produced an average of 3,000 p a i r s of footwear similar to that im- ported," the submission as- serts. "Thus, the 46.1 million pairs imported in 1969 were equival- ent to the loss and exporta- tion of a minimum of 15,000 job opportunities," the sub- mission emphasizes.