MILLING CROWDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 113, 15 May 1942, Page 3

MILLING CROWDS

BUYING STAMPEDE

AUSTRALIAN SHOP SCENES (0.C.) SYDNEY, May 13. Unparalleled scenes occurred in Australian cities on the Saturday forenoon and again this week, when milling crowds invaded shops buying up everything on sight i 1» the way of clothing, footwear, Manchester goods and suchlike. The cause of this mad buying stampede was a broadcast announcement last Friday night by the Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, that a ration scheme was being prepared and that pending the introduction of rationing, retail sales would be reduced by 25 per cent on the 1941 figures, as from this Monday.

Mr. Curtin appealed earnestly to people not to start panic buying on Saturday morning. He said that if this was the way in which they were going to respond to a national call on behalf of Australia's safety, it would be "starting the country on the road to disaster." "The darning needle has become a weapon of war," he said. "Use it on your old clothes, don't buy new ones." A similar appeal was made by the Minister for War Organisation of Industry, Mr. Dedman, when announcing the clothing sales restrictions in Parliament.

Unfortunately, in spite of this urgent and plain appeal, people caused a panic buying rush. The shops all reported that they had never experienced anything like it, some of them in 67 years of business, or more.

Forty Pairs of Shoes

Some women produced rolls of notes, up to £200 and £300, and bought up everything, irrespective of size or price. Some of them, for instance, bought up to 40 pairs of shoes. It is very likely, however, that they have been just too clever. They could not. of course, carry such bulk purchases with them, and the shops consequently have the names and addresses at which the goods are to be delivered. As such purchases are obviously intended for re-selling in a black market, it is very likely that the purchasers may later on get some nasty communication on the subject from the Federal Government.

In desperate attempts, with their depleted staffs, to cope with the buying rush, the shops have resorted to various methods. Some of them remain open and put up notices: "Quota sold out" on various counters and in various departments, as soon as their sales limit figure has been reached. Others open their doors only for a short time to admit a crowd, and then close them. One shop was open in this way for only three minutes in the whole day. Another shop posted a sentry on the door who inquired into the urgency of all intending purchasers, but" he had such a gruelling time from wouldbe shoppers, that at the end of the day he demanded that his wages should be doubled to compensate him for the insults to which he was subjected. Generally speaking, the stores an now closing for a time at midday, and closing early in the afternoon, in an effort to meet the position until rationing comes into force.

The Federal Opposition has criticised the way in which the Govlernraent has gone about the busi'ness. The Government's defence is

that the buying rush had already developed to such an extent that it had become urgently necessary to cut down sales In order to conserve a pool of supplies from which to draw when rationing comes into force. The Government therefore had to announce a restriction in sales meantime, and the resulting buying rush was unavoidable.

Civilians on War Basis The announcement that clothes rationing is coming is an indication of how Australia's vast war effort is now beginning to affect the people. Faced with the problem of providing and supplying enormous land, sea and air forces, with all the vast requirements in weapons and munitions which modern war demands, and also with the necessity of at least providing the civilians who produce war requirements with the minimum necessary in food and clothing, and faced also with the extra burden of supplying some of the needs of the growing numbers of American forces in Australia, the Federal Government is rapidly being forced to put every civilian on a war basis. In fact, as soon as present stocks of goods are exhausted, civilians will be able to purchase nothing but rationed quantities of the barest necessities. Up to date the worst shortages have occurred in matches, tobacco, razor blades and tea, which is rationed—loz a week per person.

As an essential means also of finding the necessary man and woman power for the war effort, industries of all kinds are being rapidly rationalised and standardised. In standardisation, for example, 300 confectionery lines and 300 patent medicines are each being cut down to just a few. Standardisation of both men's and women's clothing has also been planned. Bread has been cut down from a great variety of makes to four, at least for delivery purposes, and delivery of bread and milk has been zoned, to set free manpower by abolishing competitive runs.

Another sign of the urgent necessity to find more manpower for the war effort is the fact that there are now some 550,000 women employed in Australia, excluding those working as domestics, and also excluding some 10,000 women in the auxiliary fighting services. Notwithstanding this, it is stated that bv next December, another 250,000 workers must be found for the war effort. It is plain from these figures, that in a very few months, almost every Australian will be down to a wartime bedrock at which he will remain until it is all over.

One-man Businesses Suffer

Among the classes who have suffered most from the war's demands are the owners of one-man businesses, of military age, who have simply had to lose their all and go into the army on 6/ a day, and also small farmers. In' fact, farms have been so denuded of labour that if something is not done about it verv soon, the absurd position may be reached of Australia, one of the world's greatest 'food producing countries actually having to ration food. This is, in fact, being dono now, with certain lines. In an effort to help small farmers and their families, who are slaving to keep up food production, the armv !s releasing farm labour for seasonal work, but the maximum leave to be granted in this way is three weeks It is becoming clear that some new balance will have to be struck verv shortly to determine the limits t'r. which Australia can go in providing manpower for war's three purposes —the fighting services, the munitions industry, and the production of the minimum food, clothing and shelter needed to maintain the workers left in essential industries, if any one of these three essential requirements is allowed to interfere the other Uvo, it is plain that the whole war effort might partlv faiL