INDUSTRY DISLOCATED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17594, 6 October 1920, Page 6

INDUSTRY DISLOCATED.

UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASING, TIMBER WORKERS DISCHARGED. OTHER TRADES ALSO * AFFECTED. The difficulties of employers in many industries are .increasing day \by day as the result of .the lack of gas and the shortage of coal, and although it is only in a few' instances that it has been necessary to discharge members of the staff, the problem of keeping the works running is a hard one. One < Auckland timber firm had to. pay off about 30 of its men last evening, the stock of logs on hand having.been sawn and it being impossible to get. more lumber until coal for the tug-boats is forthcoming. In the mills sawdust and shavings are used for fuel, Other timber firms are receiving logs by rail, and another can still carry on with bulk timber conveyed by- scow. In no case can the position be regarded as satisfactouy, however,' and until there are ample supplies of coal for tug-boats there is bound to be some unemployment among the mill hands and a consequent reduction in the output of a commodity which is urgently needed. Wood-turners have\also been affected, and, lacking? power to run the lathes and saws, several of the smaller firms have had to close down.

Dyeing and cleaning firms have bean affected in so far as it is impossible for them to do any pressing, the other departments are still working. At least one large firm of printers has had to cease work . for the present, while in numerous other trades where steam power is_ used, the very small supplies of coal available. are practically exhausted,'and odds and ends of wood of any kind are being used to keep the, fires burning.:, * , • • The city and suburban postmen and telegraph "boys are among, those to whom the cutting off of the tram service has meant a great deal of extra walking, but there has been no disorganisation of either the postal or telegraph delivery service. The main difference in the present position from that of other times is that instead of hourly clearances only two clearances a day are now made from suburban offices. These are made by the post office lorries, which also convey the postmen to and from their rounds. Each suburban office is supplied with its own telegraph messenger staff, and boys from the city office make their longer trips on the motor 'buses. Thus the public is being put to no more inconvenience than a slight delay in'the receipt of telegrams. One effect of the cessation of the tramway service has resulted in a falling-off of the casual cash trade of butchers' shops in the city and an increase in the business of shops in the suburbs. The demand for roasts has decreased owing to the fact that many restaurants and private houses have not'the facilities for roasting joints, and utilise the -available heat -to boil meat. There is a great demand for cooked meat, prepared goods, pies, and sandwiches, which form the main dishes at many dinner-tables now*