ACTIVITY DECREEING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23341, 5 November 1937, Page 10

ACTIVITY DECREEING

AUCKLAND CLOTHING TRADE MANUFACTURERS' POSITION (Special to Daily Ttmbs) AUCKLAND, Nov. 4. Now that the clothing trade generally is overtaking the- Christmas orders, a diminution of activity is becoming apparent because fresh orders for delivery in the New Year are not coming to hand in the usual volume. In addition to instances recently given, one clothing concern has been steadily putting off hands in the past month or so, the total of dismissed employees reaching 36 this week.

Inquiries go to show that few concerns have shortened staffs by dismissing a large number of hands at the one time. It has been rather a process of attrition. At the same time certain branches of the cloth-* ing trade are definitely busy; it is the intention of one concern to engage nine extra girls next week. Such instances, however, are governed by special circumstances, which do not affect the general story of the falling off of orders because the higher production costs make it difficult or impossible to compete with the flood of clothing imported or being imported from' overseas. Resentment in the trade against cheap overseas importations appeared to be generally directed at Australian clothing rather than British, but the type of clothing made as well as other considerations largely determined the attitude on the question of importations with manufacturers. Several expressed the opinion that they hoped to hold their staffs together until Christmas. After that there would be substantial dismissals, judged on the orders now in hand.