RUN ON SILK STOCKINGS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 6 December 1940, Page 4

RUN ON SILK STOCKINGS

EXPERIENCE IN AUCKLAND MINISTER’S STATEMENT CREATES PANIC BUYING [United Press Association] AUCKLAND, sth December. “Just send Mr Nash to me and I’ll tell him what I think of him,” declared an harassed assistant at the women’s hosiery counter of a large store after one of the busiest days on record following the statement in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by the Minister of Customs, Mr Nash, on the shortage of silk stockings. Far from heeding Mr Nash’s advice to buy fewer silk stockings and wear fine woollen ones instead, women in Auckland besieged hosiery counters at all stores from early morning. When the shops closed many had sold out of numerous lines. “We are always frantically busy at this time of the year,” an assistant in one shop said, “but as this morning drew on buying became phenomenal. Women were buying not one or two pairs, but half a dozen, a dozen or more. Already we have not a full range in most lines, and we have none at all in some sizes. Toward the end of this afternoon customers were not worrying about graduations of colour, but were taking anything they could get.” In another large store it was stated that at to-day's rate of buying there would be no silk stockings left by closing time to-morrow. Many line* were already sold out. “Ever since 8.50 this morning people have been queueing up, and there has been no lull since,” an assistant said at a third store. A limit of two pair* for each customer was imposed. Even so, it was stated, the shelves would be empty by Christmas at the present rate and cheaper lines would be sold out long before then. Panic buying was deprecated by the head of a large department store. “The statement in the House has created an unusual demand which, in the opinion of traders, is a pity,” he said. “From the figures quoted in Parliament it is apparent there is a shortage, but there are reasonable stocks for reasonable buying.”