EFFECT ON TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 5

EFFECT ON TRADE.

revival OF BXTSDTBSS. Inqmrkr- made to-<lay by i rtvpreeen-■cat-ive of the '-Auckland Star"' elicited the gratifying informal ion that, there i ha- itppn a*marked improvement in bus:- ---: ness since work resumed on the wharves i and public confidence was assured that ! there would lie no serious disturbances. I "The season ha* opened very well," was i the statement, made by one big . Queen i Street drapery firm. "We are really busy I this week, and if the trams had been running -as usual 1 don* sec how we could have served the customers." He added that the previous week business I wa* almost, a-i. a standstill, and there j was a. danger that kinds would have to ! be shortened in some establishments. i Tie change juet. came in time to avert , than, and there is every reason to antii cipa.te from the way bus-4ness has revived already 'bat the year v. ill -average out ! all right. Mercery establiehmereti* also ! report, a decided improvement in irade ! this week, and boot and shoe •firms are ! also doing fair business. The resumpI tion of building- operations wil] improve I bijeJD<*s for the big bard-ware houses, ad j welt ac tOT oil and colour firms. The irrain eufierera seem to be t«hi- small 1 retail shopn and other firms that prinj cipaJly deal in what may be tejjned i luxuries. This is the natural outcome of the curtailment of the. ependnrg ; powers in ii.be 'famiMeß of those who air ! thrown out of work by the strike. Some firms, while not permanently dispensing with any employees, are giving a. certain number work only on alternate weeks, which, of course, means Tose of wages for these out. Other firms, where it is the practice u> give holidays on full pay. are getting some, of their employees to take their vacation while business is not so brit>k. -Many retailere, however, report better taJcdngß this week as compared with -the two previous ones, and one fart or that lias helped to improve j corrdhiorts is thai each batch of mounted ! '"Fpeeial" constables. \v.h<>n T»liev«d. bur pretty freely before returning to their homrt-. At the samp tim.- there i? no hiding the tact- 'that if certain workers have lost between £40.000 and £.50.000 in wage? during the past three weeks there must neca-earily be a carreepoiiriingry lessened spending power apari pom absrfate necessaries of tiftv 'Even , rfia iswb'fbat levies arcmadetupoa-^j'tfretj

trades -iir -operation cuiiaAc fire spending power propeEtianaie tm fl» tsum donaied., The ibead of <mc. fan remarked that, isfciit 'wrti loeß of tnado for a corrple of .weeks, α-nd duusliug to tire Citizens' Dpfenre Pond, it a few hundreds gone tbox conld not be nods up. .but be added, with a. beaaomg em.Qe, Nbusin-ess is booming to-day, and has bt"en good throughout the -wrick, co I exp"a.-t to came ufin all right by lie end of tI.V year." Wit.\ regard to clotiriwg, costmne. and shirt iWVtoTiee, the position: ie not quite so satisf.'Wtorj - . a* orders stopped -when the troubl> bejran. ;uid 'this ososed 6ome firms to pa."*, with their em-pteyees. The stuff to be n:"ade up for the winter trade! will, however, tooo. b« on 'hundvsphish will renew act'wi-;\es in thfosa lEactoxios affeL'ted.