MATCH SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 174, 20 April 1942, Page 4

MATCH SHORTAGE

Wellington Manufacturer Blames Hoarders The opinion that most of the shortage of matches was caused by hoarding was expressed during the weekend by the principal of a Wellington firm manufacturing matches, though he admitted that local industry had an increased burden to bear now that many of the match-producing countries in the world are under enemy control. Necessary chemicals are also in short supply.

A merchant said that importations virtually ceased about 12 months ago because the importers who still had licences for matches were unable to secure their orders. The effect had not been felt by the public while reserve stocks lasted.

A statement attributed to an Auckland distributing merchant that the Wellington factory could not cope with the demand was denied by the managing director, but he admitted that nearly every country iu the world was experiencing difficulty iu this direction. Wellington is a “wax town” where matches are concerned, for, like other commodities, they have their fashions in different parts of the Dominion, and the production of a box of wooden matches in ■Wellington or further south is likely to brand the smoker as an Aucklander. The Auckland district is definitely a “safety” area, selling at least 50 times as many wooden matches as wax, according to some dealers. Whether the superior lighting qualities of wax matches, particularly in a. wind, have endeared these to .Wellington smokers, or whether there is some unaccountable reason for the fashion, the fact remains that wax are in general use. In farming districts wax matches are so much the order of the day that grocers are generally asked for ‘ tin matches.” meaning wax matches in tins. While part of the North Island was affected by the scarcity of safety matches last year, most of the country districts exiwricnced no difficulties because of this factor,