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Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 10

Before the war there •was a _ big: trade between Austria and Australia ia bent-wood chairs (says the "Adelaide Advertiser"). The name Austrian bentwood was almost a household word, and it was generally conceded tiiat the claairs from the Thi.il Monarchy were amongst the strongest obtainable at the price. When Austria was beguiled by Germany into the world-war the importation of bentwood chairs to Australia ceased. The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and tho chaotic condition of its parts ar« 6aid to have practically annihilated _ tfco bentwood eliair industry. Thero Js a great dearth, of this class of furniture in Australia, and that gives additional importance to the efforts of a big furniture firm to establish an industry for the manufacture of these chairs. This firm claims to have proved that Australian blackwood can be bent under steam into the shapes requisite for the manufacture of bentwood chairs, and considers the article produced equal to the l»est Austrian bentwood. The process is declared to bo scientific and eminently satisfactory, and the manager of tlio factory asserts that ho could find a market at once for 50,0C0 of these chairs if be could procure labour tor making them. Ho cannot get the labour he requires, and the industry cannot, under existing conditions, be developed.