Dominion Too Small To Make Clothes

Chronicle (Levin), 13 January 1949, Page 8

Dominion Too Small To Make Clothes

r -rn — . , Press Association )

(Per

AUCKLAND, Jan. 11. Grateful fo? useful manufa^turing information be has .obtained in New 3ealand but not impressed with the Dominion ae a place for elothing manufaeture on the scale to wliich he • is used and whieh he believes economieal, Mr. O. B. Shepherd, manager and director of- the. Belfast Collar Oq,, Ltd., Belfast, shirt manufacturers, i's having a linal look around Auckland before leaving the Dominion for AuS' tralia, the East and South Afriea. In an interview yesterdayf he indieated that Sonth Africa offered a far more promising iield for tnanufactnre and he would b§ having a good look at the position there, "I woiild not reeommend any- large ejothing manufacturer to eome here unless he had a monopolv, ' ' said Mr. Shepherd. • He explained that the Dominion had too small a population to use all the produets df a large factory and the high eost of production woukl make it impossible to export on any considcrable scale. Sbortage of Labour. The labour shortago was another discouraging faetor. The factory in Belfast of whieh he was manager could produce sufficient shirts in six weeks to { keep every man in New Zealand well

supplied for a wnole year. "Nothing of ours is coming to New Zealand/ at the moment, " added Mr. Shepherd, 4Of eonrse it has been and we" look forward to the time when we are able to send more of our goods, wliich we know ean more than favourably compare in priee. I have reeeived inany ihquiries but most of our export goods are going to Scandinavian countries, Incidentally, in the last financial year Ulster exported £9 Of goods a head compa.red with an average of £3 a head for the whole of Britain. ' ' Good Working Conditions. Discussing working conditions at his factory, Mr. Shepherd said he had not had a strike sinee he took over the management in 1921. Work was done on the conveyoT system, the einployees being paid a weekly rate, plus a bonus. The factory had been the lirst textile works in Britain to go on to the 40-1 hoqr week and tliis had resulted in a 10 to 15 per cent. increase in- production. None of the 860 girls employod were unionists, this not being compulsory, although some of the 150 men might belong to unions. Good wages were paid and social and sporting activities were encouraged. A rejigious service was held in the canteen every Wednesday. f