Factories to Shorten Staffa

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 31, 30 October 1937, Page 7

Factories to Shorten Staffa

— Press Association.)

^ J-'.T-- * IMPORTED^ G00DS Slackening of Orders in Anckland G1RLS WAI BE J0BIESS AT CHRISTMAS

(By Telegraph

! 'AUCKLAND, Last Nlght. Beauso orders have slackened owin" to overseas importations, manufacturers in several industries state they are now engaged in biiilding up stocks, confidently antieipating they vrill be able to work off such stocks when the Christmas trade develops. "While sto.ck reduction takes place, they propose to ghorten staffs, as heavy manufacturiug would not then be Warranted. One of such manufacturers who is iii the clothing industry states positivelv that he is putting off 150 female opera tives in the first week in December, but he hopcs to be in a ppsition to refengage them early in the new year. Men closely in tpuch with labour conditipns expect there -will be a fair ampunt of unemployment in sevpral skillcd trades during the Christmas season. ludeed, some industries have already begun to put off hands. The millinery factory industry is said to be feeling U pinch beyond that of mere seasonal conditions, and there have been fpir flismisaals, one firjk haying- jpgt put off 80 hands. ** * ' Importations, largejy ;of 'a" chepper •fype of- millirfery, are Said to be responsible for the condition of t'ra'd'e. "Tmpprtnt^ons. of, hatsr epps - and millinery increftsed frpm £107,054 ,in the ffrst pight mop|hs of last yca.r to £1§4,61Q in the ejglit.mpnths pf this ySar, • The filothing mauufecturer ■ who • ia shortpning- staff by 150 in (the first week. in Dfcpember, produeed his books fqr- iosp'ectiou. Theso > showed that orders receivedin September and Octo;' ber wero one-twentieth, approximately, pf those received in May and June. In those months he tried unsuccessfully to obtain 100 more hands, "Becausft I conld not get the hands I dpireci, owing to labour laws which preyentec} thp econpmic employment of uoskilleii girls cjosp to or at the age when they werp entitled to draw the basic wage, L had to refiise the orders, he said. "Traderg cabled their requirements ovprgeas. • "-At the time I mnde representations bo the Government pointing out the effect the basic wage was haying on the employment of mature girlg who had not experipnce in & clothing faptory, and ihe position in which it w&a plaeing thp deYelopment of my industry, I alsp put the positipn before the public in thp newspapers. Now I will have no Qther recqurse, bpcause I cannot indefinit'ely pontinue making stpck, but ta dismiss handg at the time I stated, Eeally in employing these girls on making stocks. j am now gambUng on thp expectation that the trade will soon xeyive in apparel and ready-mndp clothing." For the trade in which the manufaeturer qupted is engaged, the importations in the first eight mopfhg of this year were £1,355,449 compared with £355,550 in the correspondipg period, Importations of hosiery increased from £130,211 in the first eight months of 1936 to £381,655 in the first eight fmonths pf this year,