QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 23 October 1941, Page 3

QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY

SILK STOCKINGS FROM ENGLAND FIRMS RUSHING TO PLACE ORDERS Though women whose biggest personal problem is the shortage of silk ; stockings have welcomed the announcement of relaxations in the import restrictions, it was stated by lending Wellington importers yesterday that optimism, founded on advice that licenses are to bo granted for importations from the United Kingdom equivalent to the orders placed by firms in 1938, may be premature. Theoretically, it was stated, the position had been relieved, but the practical question was whether stocks were available for immediate shipment from England, which itself had had shortages in some grades of stockings. Every firm dealing in this now precious article of women’s wear was rushing to place orders yesterday, but confirmation is awaited from the United Kingdom as to whether stocks are available for shipment. Should supplies be available, it would ease the position a great deal, said one importer. His firm had been notified that it could have licenses bringing its orders back to the pre-war indents of 1938, but he considered that four to six months would elapse before the stockings arrived, if they were available. The increase in allocations of fulllength stockings of wool from 50 to 100 per cent, of the 1941 licenses meant nothing to young girls, he said, as they would not wear them. Only elderly women used plain cashmere hose. "Ask a young gi#f to wear them and see what happens.” he said. | Importers generally expressed sympathy for women desperately making the best of the last pair of‘silk stockI ings they possessed. “Somebody is I hoarding,” they added, mentioning the i bragging of some women about their n of 30 to 40 pairs. Howevei they said, Nemesis might overtake some iof those who had been doing a little I cornering of the retail market, as stockings stored for too long were liable to perish. Most women, they j said, were reasonable in their requests lif dealt with tactfully, but to miss scj curing stockings time and time again would exasperate the most patient of j buyers. The genera! practice of firms when stockings were received in stock was to release a few at a time at vary- : ing periods of the day. Reference was made to the shortage? . of satins and figured silks consequent on the cessation of importations from •Japan. They added that there was a big shortage of English cotton mater- ■ ials in plain and printed yardage, as j ‘'*t present they were only receiving 20 per cent, of the previous year's importations. To aggravate the situation, ! one of the biggest shipments to a large ! local firm for some time had been lost 'at sea.