PLENTY OF WORK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2413, 19 March 1915, Page 6

PLENTY OF WORK

PRESSURE IN ENGLAND STUPENDOUS ARMY CONTRACTS Business letters have been received by a local firm which throw some interesting sidelights on the effect of the war on the industrial centres, >vhich in turn will react on tho variety and perhaps the quantity of material that will bo available for shipment abroad. One well-known English woollen manufacturer writes:— "Unfortunately we are having the greatest difficulty in getting stuft away. Aight after night the Railway .Company advise us that they cannot take ireight for London, consequently we keep missing certain ships by which we would like to send goods. Matters of this sort are, of course, entirely beyond our control. Troop trains and storeß tor Government purposes ara all taking preference on this side, and we feel sure that our friends, on the other side are very reasonable, and will appreciate the difficulties with which manufacturers ere having to contend' at tho present time • . . Then, too, as regards the supply of yarn, this is a very grave difficulty. You will have seen from the papers the prices at which wool is being sold, and in fact as regards certain classes of crossbreds they are scarcely to be had for love or- money It is not only as regards the price of the raw wool which we have' to contend with, but one of the main difficulties is the spinning. You see, all the yarn which is required is now having to come largely from Yorkshire, and they are simply overwhelmed. What with Government contracts, whioh are having to take preference, tne scarcity of labour, etc., we are handicapped at all points, and now it looks as if we were going to run short of coal; not that there is not enough coal in the country, but we are not able to get it for the various factories. Cermany's Burden, "While we are having to pay such stiff pricos,' we see, according to the papers, that it is reported in Germany that crossbred tops are os. per pound. "Things at the present moment are exceedingly difficult; in fact, difficult is not the word. We scarcely know from day to day or hour to hour how things stand, and there is no such thing as firm prices ss regards wool—it is almost on one moment and off the next. By the time one has turned round the prioe is gone. "We were hoping, of course, for a considerable time that the Germans would get pushed out of such places as Lille, Turcoing, and Loubaix, to enable the mills to get started again, but •there is no prospect of this as far as we can see—that ; s, as regards our getting any yarn this year—because we are afraid that when they do go they will damage the mills and they will take a lot of overhauling and putting right. As far as your new winter supplies are concerned, they will be the smallest range of samples ever sent out. . . . The orders for khaki which have been given out by the Government are. siniply stupendous and naturally, and quite' rightly too, the Government insists on tho requirements of th© troops taking first preference over all other goods. We aro bound to keep them going whatever else happens, and we can only say again, as we believe we have done on previous occasions, that our friends are very fortunate to get goods at all. The' Duration of tho War. "Since we wrote our last letter,, the battleship wh'cli represents your own particular colouy has distinguished itself. This incident has undoubtedly brought home to the _ people in this country that our colonies are with us. If we may say so, it is a very happy coincidence that the vessel in question was present during what lias, up to the present, been the most distinguished action on the part of our Navy. Also since we wrote you last the feeling throughout the country is far more optimistic, although speaking generally the majority of people are of opinion that the war is not likely to be over for many months to come. There are, in fact, two strong divisions of opinion ir. this country in this respect. "A large number of people think that the war will be over about Juno. On the other hand, and amongst which must be mentioned most of the Army authorities, tlie opinion prevails that we shall bo lucky indeed if this year sees the end of it. Some even say that it will last another eighteen .months or two years. For instance, the so-called 'temporary shelters' which have been erected on Salisbury Plain to accommodate the Canadian troops, are . now built of bricks with cement floors. • Looking Ahead. "Again, a large factory in oourse of at Rochester for the purpose of turning out guns and other munitions of war, will not be completed until next May. As it has been built solely for this purpose this is..still further evidence that as they will not be able to start manufacturing till about June, a 'ong duration of the war is expected. In fact, Lord Kitchener himself made the remark that 'the war will not commence till the. Spring.' There is no doubt that these men (Kitchener's Army), all of whom have joined since tho war broke out, are exceptionally a fine body of well-trained and intelligent soldiers. Undoubtedly one of the reas-ons-why they have obtained such a high state of perfection is owing to'th© majority of them being of a class considerably superior to the 'Tommy' of ordinary peace times. ■ "Naturally business is considerably affected. In our own way. the diminution of our staff is causing great inconvenience. We are very proud, however, that between eighty and ninety of our mcn have joined up, a fact which you will have already ascertained from the copy of the Drapers' Record which we sent you. "Employment y in this country is exceptionally good, and_ money is free, which is obviously owing to the huge amount of expenditure in connection with the war, &nd the fact*that we are benefiting largely owing to Germany's markets being closed. Tariff Reform, "In fact, although many politicians on this side advocated Tariff Reform which was rejected by the majority, the result is that Tariff Reform which politics failed to obtain, lias now been forced upon the country as a re. suit of the war. Many industries which Germany largely comnetei with aro trying 10 get back their'trade, but whether they succeed in doing so is of course another mattor. In the writer's opinion when the war is over flie Germans will make a very hard fight to got back their trade, and will undoubtedly secure it, unless a measure of protection is given to this country."