Australia Cancels Crockery Orders

Chronicle (Levin), 31 August 1948, Page 6

Australia Cancels Crockery Orders

AUCKLAND , August 30. " Because the majority of Australiau orders for- erockery have been canceiipd following the aiteratiou of the exchange rate, 57 men and women employees of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Co, Ltd.j at New Lynn, are under notice of dismissai. Eepreseiiting a si.xth of the staff employe.d in the croekery manufacturing .section, they will fmish work at the end of nest- week, . • . Ovpr ,2i years the company has built up a substantial crockery export to .the Australian inarket in spitt of. a tarilf of 171 per cent. When. the exchange alteration had thc eil'ect of adding 20 per cent. to the price paid in Australia, it became too hig'n for Australian importers." Efl'orts to re-book orders are being inade by the flrm's representative in Austra-lia, . .V . El'forts were . being made to place skilletl pottery workerg in temporax'y employmont unlil they could be taken back, a representative of the company said, because the erockery trade in New Zealaud had not been gettiug a 'fair spin. " • They could not be absorbed iinmediately. ' The firm had to compete against inereasing inlportations whieh eutered thc country without duty. The effects of the exchange position on the flrnr's employees is to be con-.-idered by the Auckland Brick, Tile and Pottery Workers' Union.