MILITARY ORDERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1940, Page 4

MILITARY ORDERS

NEW ZEALAND MILLS WORKING AT CAPACITY. FORWARD INDENT ORDERS CANCELLED. On account of unprecedented demands of the Government for supplies of materials for the Army and Air Force, the productive capacity of woollen mills in New Zealand is so fully taxed that it has become necessary for mill owners to cancel all forward indent orders which remained unexecuted at July 19. According to a statement on the position issued by the New Zealand Woollen Mill Owners Association, the military authorities some months ago submitted a schedule of the estimated requirements up to the end of the year and it was anticipated that from May onwards the mills would be in a better position to cope with the civil needs of the community. Owing, however, to new developments in military plans, the members of the association had been asked to make available to the Government further considerable supplies of military materials and the execution of these orders must take precedence of all other work. Under’ these conditions, it is stated, the practice of booking definite indent orders for future delivery could not be continued and the only course open was to ascertain the future requirements of clients and to execute them in the time, and to the extent, that circumstances which were beyond the control of the association permitted. So far, the effect of these conditions had not been felt to any extent, said a Masterton retailer this morning, but in another two or three months it would become noticeable. Usually the mills had a carry over of such articles as blankets and knitting wool, but in the coming season they would have to start right from scratch. The mills had adopted rationing of supplies to retailers and in consequence some lines were in short supply and many could not be obtained at present.