"UP AGAINST IT."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 142, 17 June 1926, Page 6

"UP AGAINST IT."

FARM IMPLEMENT WORKS. MEN ON SHORT TIME. TWO "HOLIDAYS" A WEEK. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") DUNEDIN, this day. "If New Zealand desires to continue in its manufacture of agricultural machinery it will have to have protection," stated the managing director of the Dunedin Farm Implement Works Company in a letter to a strong advocate for protection. The letter continues: "We are up against severe competition in our stable line, and our hands have been reduced to the lowest we have employed for many years. There is a lot of unemployment at present. The farmer thinks secondary industries are all heavily protected. Yet, he himself is the most heavily protected of anyone." The effect of competition from overseas is reflected in the following notice exhibited in the company's works under date of last Thursday: "We regret that, owing to business being so quiet, we are compelled to reduce either the number of employees or working hours, and have decided that, until more orders come in we will close the works on Saturdays and Mondays in future. Boys and apprentices will work as usual. We will return to ordinary working hours as soon as possible, and regret having to reduce hours, which we hope will not be necessary for any length of time."