HUGE BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1929, Page 8

HUGE BILL

PAID FOR SILK HOSE. AUSTRALIA’S NEEDS. SYDNEY, July 25. Australian women buy about 25,000,000 pairs of silk hose in a year at a cost of about £25,000,000. Of nurse, these figures are more or less approximate, but they are bound to be near the mark and the total cost is based on an average price of about 3s 6d to 4s a pair, but prices actually range from Is 6d to £S. The more oxpensive stockings are imported from Paris and New York, and it is strange that Great Britain should not cater for this high-class trade. Great Britain manufacturers specialise in woollen materials, and they supply Australia with the less artistic half-hose for men. Australian manufacturers have made great progress in the making of silk and atificial silk hosiery since the duty on the imported article was increased about two years ago. In one State alone—Victoria—there, < are at least 21 factories engaged ’jin; this work and employing about 1700 hands permanently. The largest .factory has 600 employees. Throughout Australia there are 4000 people' engaged in making silk stockings and of these 75 per cent; are women. One make of stocking, is produced on what is termed a circular machine, the shaping of the leg' being secured by reducing or increifsifig the number of stitches, and the application of a steam press made of The machine for this purpose can be bought for £IOO. The machine for making the popular fullfashioned liose costs about £2OOO. Considerable sums accrue to the Customs from imported hose, hut the women of Australia, inconsiderate as they are, have not been extravagant enough to ensure that Dr. Earle Page .would pass the year with a surplus. For the eleven months of the last financial year importations of hose valued at £1,086,699 cameoifrom overseas to Australia, ns against)t£l,2B2.699 for one corresponding period of the previous'year. This decrease is accounted fob-’by'the greater activity of the local manufacturers. Takipg ,qinto account •duty, profits, and thejjpumerous other charges that are piled on to goods sold over the counter,- .it ]is probable that the women of • Austvftliq; paid twice as much for these stockings. The Customs Department ’ %st~"year collected £72,000 on cotton socks and stockings. £275,000 artificial silk hosiery, Afid £225,000 on woollen hosifei’y.