STOCKINGS DEMAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 230, 30 September 1941, Page 6

STOCKINGS DEMAND

A BUSY FACTORY WORKING DAY AND NIGHT Auckland, 29. Girls are working day and night in an Auckland factory to satisfy the demand for women’s stockings. About 4800 pairs of stockings are made each week, but this is merely a drop in the ocean. A visitor to the factory would not t... think there was such a desperate • shortage. Complicated machines are working at high pressure, the only breaks being for oiling. The stockings pass through about 12 separate operations, and ar? then taken to another branch for dyeing. It has been stated that about 3.000,000 pairs of stockings are being made in New Zealand each year, and plans are in hand for increasing this output by 600.000 pairs annually. This may sound a large quantity, but it only works out at less than six pairs annually for every’ European woman and girl, between the ages of 15 and 75. in the Dominion. Apparently the Government is not prepared to adopt the widelyapproved coupon system for stockings. In reply to a petition by 100 female members of the Auckland Houses of Entertainment and Places of Amuse vnent Employees’ Union, the Prime Tffinister has stated he has handed the petition to the Minister of Customs (Mr. Nash). The secretary (Mr. IV T. Queaiy: id yesterday that nothing furthm ha ■ been done. It is known, however, that the Government is negotiating with Great Britain for furthci supplies.