"This is the very first practical example the country has yet had of the disastrous effects of lack of production, whereby 300 of the best workpeople are being driven out of employment and a factory is compelled to close. The whole cause, and absolutely nothing else, is lack of production, and it will affect other businesses in this country."
Such was the statement made to the "Morning Post" by a prominent official of Messrs. John Brinsme: d and Sons (Ld.) regarding the clos-ug down of their piano factory at Kentish Town, a week's notice having been given to the employees ud the reasons explained to them on the above lines.
Tha officio! further stated that his rin previously exported 1,000 pianos annually "to the Colonies, hot that was out of the question to-day owing to the heavy cost of manufacture, and the corresPonding decrease in production larger numbers employed than formerly. The cost of polishing a piano alone to-day was more than the cost of construction of the instrument.
An official of another firm, emphatically denying that there wes any profiteering in the piano trade, said that a piano which sold before the war at £40 should really have been selling at £55, and, consequently, the manu ireturers were making no profit. This was due to the then comretitive action of Germany. To-day the same instrument cost £142 to produce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.