NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1923, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL.

GERMAN KELT MATS. BRITISH INDUSTRY IN PERIL. LONDON. Sent. 12 During the pa.-t year felt and velour 11)1 i'll pouring into this eotintfrom the nt incut. It i- !l ""' ri '- p-n-ted that ever-ilierea-iug quantities i, low-quality fell headwear are coming Irom Germany. On aeeounl of the rate of ex el i mg’. English manufacturer- are unable to eouiprle with ' m'-e good:l mice basis, and few of them would (are. lor that matter, to "reduce -uch in! wior hats. Manui’aeoirers in Stockport. Denton, and elsewhere in Lancashire and Cheshire are seriously a(I eel ed by this th e.l oi cheap imp wi .. lei! the ehiel influence is felt by the makers 111 wee! felts HI the Warwickshire u was iff Nuneaton. Ather-nme. and I’edworin. A u of valuable machinery istanding idle in the ia-t' u'o-, •> large number ol -hilled opeiaim > at' either to! ally unemployed or working oulv a lev hour- weekly. View On- English headwear industry has suffered is shown by the Board of Trade returns. In the three years 191 t i |C'':i om- average annual imporis ol tVlt. i,ats and heeds amounted to o-><) 1.13 dozen, while «mr average e.\were (571.197 dozen. During the ii, l seven month- of this year. h|,'vrner we have alivadv imported 300.11'doze’n. hut our exports have dropped to 1.12,033 dozen. If the monthly average i- maintained until the end of Deeeniher our import- tiff' . vc ' :n ’ (i 17:5 7-‘’'(> lui'. 2.921.52 t) English hat- exported. In mher'words, helore Die war we sold abroad nearly three times a- many felt lmts a- we purelm-cd from other countries, hut this year v.e are buying twice a< many as we are selling.