DEARTH OF CROCKERY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1920, Page 5

DEARTH OF CROCKERY.

A HOUSEHOLD PROBLEM. REASONS FOR THE SHORTAGE. The difficulties which beset the way of those who undertake to set up housekeeping are many and varied nowadays, and lately yet another problem has been added to the list—that of securing crockery and glassware. Auckland firms, interviewed, state that never before has there been such a local dearth of this most necessary household commodity as exists at- present. "If I were to receive an order for half-a-dozen dinner sets today I could not fill it," remarked the head of a retail firm with one of the largest crockery departments in Auckland. The problem was referred to the manager of a leading wholesale firm, and he quoted a cablegram just received from one of the principal Staffordshire potteries, which supplied the key to the position. The .cablegram stated that orders for 1020 had already completed this year's capacity of the factories, and that orders were being booked in rotation for 1921. ''This means that no more orders can even be taken this year, let alone delivered," supplemented the manager, who stated that he had just received a consignment ordered in 1917. "As fast as we get crockery in, it goes out, though," lie continued, "and the supply doesn't begin to meet the demand. Even if we could get all our orders through without delay it would only be as the proverbial drop in the ocean." The fact of the prevailing shortage is brought home acutely to any housewife setting out to establish a home, or to replenish her stock of crockery. One told of a whole day spent in a vain quest of tumblers and wine-glasses; nothing whatever could be obtained, save a few coarse tumblers and diminutive liqueur glasses. One reason assigned to the present shortage in Auckland is the cancellation of many orders with English firms immediately following the armistice, in confident anticipation of an immediate drop in prices. The mistake was realised too late for it to bp rectified, consequently much less crockery and glassware is coming to hand than would have otherwise been the case. But the existing shortage, it was explained, is in reality merely a reflection of the position in Kngland and on the Continent, although accentuated locally to some extent by the circumstance mentioned. Workmen at the English potteries were stated to be working shorter hours than ever before, while the European demand was an accumulation of five years' arrears. Before the war large quantities of beautiful china and glassware were imported throughout the Empire from Bavaria and Austria, but this source of supply was i.ow completely closed. France and Belgium also supplied a great deal, but the output of these countries, even now that the industry had been re-established, was almost entirely absorbed in local needs.