HEAVY DEMANDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 309, 7 October 1940, Page 7

HEAVY DEMANDS

CLOTHING THE TROOPS.

FACTORIES RALLY TO TASK (Special to tlio “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, October 6. ' “The demand for clothing for our military forces has thrown a very heavy responsibility on the clothing trade and woollen mills of the country,” said the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Minister of Supply, in a statement today. “The responsibility was intensified by the fact that the demand came with remarkable rapidity and grew phenomenally as the need for training increased numbers of men became necessary. The industry rallied to the task splendidly, and I am deeply grateful to all concerned, manufacturers and workers, for the excellent manner in which they have met the intensified demand. “Due heed has been given to the requirements of the civilian population, and I am hopeful that our mills and workrooms will be able to release greater quantities of consumer goods for this purpose. Everything must naturally be subordinated to the requirements for the defence forces, and it is well to remember that clothing and footwear in these forces and subjected to very heavy wear and tear. There will, therefore, be continued heavy demands on industry for replacements to the forces serving overseas. Wlithl the planned organisation of production, this demand will cause no insurmountable trouble. This diversion of our factories’ output has had some effect on the value of goods produced for civilian requirements, but up to the present it has had no substantial effect' upon the retail trade. Clothing and Soots. “No effort is being spared, nor will it bo spared,” said Mr Sullivan, “to maintain at as high a level as possible stocks of goods for civilian consumption. Since the outbreak of war and up to September 30 we have produced, among other things, 116,000 pairs of blankets, '65,000 jerseys, 500,000 yards of tunic cloth, 263,000 yards .of greatcoating, 750,000 yards of flannel shirting, 535,000 pairs of socks, 52,760 blouses for battledressl and 53,100 pairs of trousers for battledress. The figures themselves speak eloquently of the effort called for,” said Mr Sullivan, “and I am pleased with the response the industry has given to the call.” I “The footwear industry, too, has. been mobilised and the work of producing the necessary boots for the army has made exacting demands. To ensure the maximum, production orders have been spread for clothing. The industry marshalled all its resources and has maintained supplies excellently. In all the work turned out the quality is of the highest and our troops overseas and in New Zealand are clothed and shod in a manner that will bear vei’y favourable comparison with anything produced elsewhere. To meet the demands of the defence forces our footwear factories have produced 240,000 pairs of boots and that is really a worthwhile achievement on which the industry can be complimented.”