1 - American Memory

102
FOR ItELEaSE: SCMOAY
SEPTDIOER 26, 1971
6iOO aji.
OrriCE OP THE MAYOR — ••nal> •! kawiil, kll*. kawall »(Tt*
September 23, 1971 SMUMICNI KIHUBA
Honorable Jolui A. Bums
Governor
State of Hauoii
State Capitol Duildins
llonolulu, Hawaii 96S13
71-9-lOz
We have coapleted the fourth poll in a scries of weekly colls of Dig Island
businesses to ascertain the impact of the shipping strike on our econociy. Dicloscd
ore the Jesuits of the fourth survey-
Local businessmen during the week of September 19, 1971, were again asked about the
effect of the strike on their eniplojiscnt. A total of 337 firms were contacted.
There was little change from the previous survey as cau be seen in Table 1.
Four (4) firms—two in nanufacturiJig and two in construction—were already shut down
due to lack of supplies. There were a total of 21 eniployees in these fiiiis. Seven
(7) Boro businesses—two iji uaaufacturiug, t».o in constiiiction, three in retail—
liidicatcd tliat they will be foi-ced to shut dowi operations within three wec!:s.
Construction and o^nufacturing finr.s have been bit hardest by the striJce. Many
construction finss are affected by both a "slow" year and the lack of materials to
start or conplcte jobs. Manufacturing opci*ations are being Im^ipcred by lack of
supplies, including packaging Material, salt nnd other items necessai? to process
pi-oducts, and by the lac!; of a feasible rieans of exporting their products. The loss
of market areas in the mainland was also a concern for inany exporters.
An additional question added in this week's survey was the number of employees whose
hours have been shortened (sec Table 3). Of the 370 previous full-tljiie workers who
bad shortened hours, over two-thirds arc working at least one day less per vcck.
Flms previously unaffected are now coniplainins of a definite slack in their businesses.
Estiinatcs ranging fron Z5 percent to £0 percent less sales have been expressed. The
situation with sugar still rcnains fairly stable.