Posted on 13-9-2002

Letter To The Editor

There's Talent And ... Talent

Letter from Stephen Tindall, the woman*


There has been much media commentary
about New Zealands diminishing loss of talented entrepreneurs such as
Eric Watson, Sir Michael Fay, and David Richwhite.

Given that some of these individuals
enriched themselves from the privatisation of publicly owned assets, some
may consider that their chief talent is larceny in that they have acted
as the pirates of old, in taking property to enrich themselves.

This is not a talent that we need in New
Zealand. Rather, we need individuals who are able to create wealth and
spread it throughout the community.

While some have been lamenting the loss
of Mr Watson, others have been lamenting the loss of yet another New
Zealand shoe manufacturer and the fifty jobs that went with it. Over the
past thirty-seven years, this shoe factory has contributed approximately
$100million to the local
economy by way of wages and productive expenditure. This equates to $2.7
million for each of those years.



The loss of these fifty jobs means the
loss of $20,000 of wages and consumer spending power per week to the Te
Kuiti community.

The talents of this factory's management
team and of their skilled staff are to be laid to waste, as large New
Zealand importing retailers continue to spend money offshore, purchasing
shoes from sweatshop factories that pay 10cents an hour wage
rates.



This is a real loss for Te Kuiti and for
New Zealand.



Rest In Peace, Fabia Shoes.



Yours sincerely

Stephen Tindall - the woman

Founder of MADENZ

PO Box 4580

Mt Maunganui

Tel/Fax 07 5745822

stephen.tindall@xtra.co.nz



Everyone Gets A Bargain, MADENZ Theme Song


Charlie used to be my mate

He's closed his shoe shop down

He's broke and now he's on the dole

Like others in our town

But I don't care I'm on a win

They'll have to take it on the chin

While they go broke I simply grin

Because I've got a bargain


Nyah Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah Nyah,

I have got a bargain

I tell you I don't give a darn

I'll buy my shoes at the big red barn

Because I've got a bargain


I know those shoes aren't going to last

They won't stand any wear

But they're so cheap I'm not concerned

I'll buy another pair

They'll end up at the local dump

Such waste will cause our rates to jump

But don't dare think that I'm a chump

Because I've got a bargain


Nyah Nyah Nyah, Nyah Nyah Nyah

I have got a bargain

The Warehouse store has plenty more

I'll be back soon and that's for sure

Because I've got a bargain


Those shoes have come from overseas

Our local factory's closed

If they're made by sweated labour

I'm still going to stay hard nosed

Made by a young girls struggling hand

Who works more hours than I can stand

But still my smile stays wide and bland

Because I've got a bargain