MANY DISMISSALS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20259, 30 July 1937, Page 10

MANY DISMISSALS

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY. COMPETITION FROM IMPORTS. “GOING FROM BAD TO WORSE.” (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday. A serious position has been reached In several of the local boot and shoe factories due to the flood of Imports of footwear from other countries with lower labour costs. One firm has dismissed thirteen operatives already and others are working short time In order to keep their employees going but it was stated this morning that the position was rapidly going from bad to worse and that further dismissals in the near future seemed inevitable. The manager of the factory which has dismissed thirteen hands said today that prior to taking that step the' factory was working only three days a week. The dismissals were made to enable a return to be made to fulltime work for the' remaining employees but he could not see how it would be possible to avoid a further reduction In staff in the next few weeks. Price cutting had already broke'n out, he said, and his firm and others were prepared to make sales at prices below the cost of production to-day In an effort to keep their factories going but still they could not make sales because of the intensity of the competition of imported footwear. Mr Savage had said that those’ people who were importing goods to undercut New Zealand manufacturers might llnd their goods would not arrive but so l’ar he had not lived up to his words. “They have kidded us on all along but nothing, has been done and now breaking point has been reached,” he «onoluded.

“AT TOP PRESSURE.” DUNEDIN FIRMS’ POSITION. XBy Telegrapn.—Press Association.! DUNEDIN, Thursday. Although manufacturers in Dunedin are watching the market closely, there appears to be no Immediate prospeot of the development here of such serious conditions as those reported from other centres. Many Dunedin manufacturing con-

cerns have been working at top pressure during the past few months in fulfilling orders from retailers who desired to stock early in order to avoid the subsequent rise in prices. The consensus of opinion among manufacturers in Dunedin is that there is no Imediate cause for undue anxiety, but—that the-result of the next two or three months’ trading will clarify the position. SLACK IN AUOKLAND. SOME WORKERS DISMISSED. AUCKLAND, Friday. Due to the importation of goods more cheaply than they can be made iooally, and resulting In a measure of unemployment, slackness in the leather and allied trades was reported by two large Arms yesterday. One firm of tanners stated that 10 employees had been dismissed in the last 10 days. .