RUSH OF WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23213, 6 December 1938, Page 7

RUSH OF WORK

THE CLOTHING TRADE MAKING UP LEEWAY , ■ t . - '' o' OVERTIME IN FACTORIES Activity in the clothing manufacturing trade in Auckland is described as intense, overtime being regularly worked in the endeavour to complete orders before Christmas. In the normal course of events the industry would ho busy at this period, but tho chief reason for the exceptional rush is attributed to the leeway in work resulting from staff disorganisation druing tho measles epidemic. "In the past six weeks my factory has produced more than in the previvious six months," said one manufacturer. "Earlier, in the year retailers were overstocked, and delayed lodging orders for replacements until well into tho year. Those conditions threw our operations out of gear, and when orders were beginning to pick up again, staffs became depleted through illness. During a good period of the epidemic there was an average in my factory of 30 workers a week absent though measles. "Modern methods of manufacture are particularly affected in epidemics, for the absence of a few skilled key workers can easily cause almost complete disorganisation. Many factories suffered particularly in this'way,' but now that staffs are back to normal, the effort to make up' leeway,- involving heavy overtime payments, is loading cost 6 of manufacture."

LAMBING ESTIMATE FIGURES FOR DOMINION DECREASE ; OF 504,352 SHOWN POOR NORTH ISLAND RETURNS [BY TELEGBAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] • WELLINGTON, Monday Estimates of lambing for the current season wero announced this evening by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin. These show a total of 16,645,165 lambs for the Dominion, compared with an estimate of 17,149,517 lambs for last year, a decrease- of 504,352. . " : ' . \ Poor returns in the Js r orth Island were solely . responsible for this drop in the figures. The estimated number of lambs for the various, sheep districts in that island is 8,600,'625, compared with 9,145)849 last* year, a decrease of 545,224, ; . The estimates for the South Island show an increase of 40,872 lambs -over the figure for 1937. * - \ In releasing the figures the Minister said the annual lambing estimated had in the past provided a reasonably accurate forecast of seasonal lambing, but in view of the incidence of so-called facial eczema this would not be so. Mr. Lee Martin added that this year the estimated number of lambs was ~ * based on the number of breeding ewes in each county as at April 30, and, although in the estimates of the percentage of lambs due allowance had. been made' for the effects of facial eczema, it had hot been, possible to make any adjustments for losses of breeding ewes subsequent to April 30 last owing to the varying duration and severity of the epidemic in different districts.

INTERMEDIATE CREDIT MORRINSVILLE - ASSOCIATION '/ii i'v• ■' . [9BY. TELEGBAPH—r-OWN s^-.COBBJESPOJc6eNt] MO I? Rij» SyjLLE,, Monday, j Higher values for dairy products' dur- • ing the past year havfe- resulted in a greater demand than previously for loans from the Morrinsville Co-opera-tive Rural Intermediate Credit . Association, Limited, states the association's. 10th annual report. New Joans were required to extend herds, provide new herds and to develop land. This extra demand has. required extra work by the farmer- " directors of the association/ who give their services voluntarily, - There lias been no cause for concern regarding the repayment of existing loans and the association has maintained its record of never Having had a loss on any of its loans. At present the association lias 58 borrowers out of its membership- of'. 127; .the others hot requiring financial teistance at present; Advances to date total £21,000.

NOXIOUS WEEDS CONTROL COUNTY SYSTEM SUPPORTED [fbom ottr owjc corhespokdkct] PUKEKOHE, Monday The proposal by the Tauranga County Council that the Government should accept full responsibility for the con-' trol of ragwort and other noxious weeds did not receive endorsement when it came before the Franklin County Council to-day. It was resolved that the Tauranga council be advised that the Franklin council was of the opinion that the present system, under which county councils carry tho responsibility, gave the best results. A factor was that the councils had an intimate knowledge of their districts, which was of value in concentrating where.effort for the eradication of noxious, weeds was necessary. The meeting to-day authorised the issue of final notices in cases where landowners within Franklin County were not making an adequate effort to clear ragwort on their properties.