TAILORS AND TRADE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 191, 15 August 1933, Page 9

TAILORS AND TRADE

EFFECTS OF TARIFF. i ■ i COMMISSIONERS' SUITS. AN EXPERT WITNESS. The relative merits of tailor-mads and factory-manufactured suits and British and New Zealand cloths were freely discussed at the sitting of ■ the Tariff Commission yesterday afternoon.

Evidence was given by Mr. H. N. Preston, president cf the Auckland Master Tailors' Association, and Mr. 11. McCartie, managing director of James Payne, Ltd., woollen merchants, seeking a reduction of the duty on English • woollen piece goods from 20 per cent to 5 per cent, provided they contained not less than 90 per cent of pure wool. This, it was contended, would give the New Zealand manufacturers the same protection which they were now enjoying against the importation ami dumping of shoddy woollens. The witnesses said that the tailoring trade throughout New Zealand used" only one-eighth of New Zealandmade material?, the New Zealand mills, they contended, were unable to make the variety of designs and colours required, and in addition, there were quite- a number of materials largely usely in the tailoring trade that were not manufactured in New Zealand. Reduction in the duty would result in tailors lowering their prices and giving more employment to those in the trade. Professor Murphy asked Mr. Preston if ho did not think that the improvement in factory-made suits was responsible for the change-over to the readymade article. Witne&s replied that many nien were to-day forced to buy factory-made euits against their own judgment. Suits in the Room. Asked by Dr. G. Craig if he could bear out the contention that only one-eighth of the material in tailor-made clothes was made in New Zealand, witness looked around the room, at the dozen men present, and said there was only one suit of New Zealand cloth there, and two others doubtful. . Looking at a representative of one of the woollen, mills, who was instructing Mr. A. E. Mander, secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Association, witness said that his was one of the suite he had in doubt, "JLi I had him over here, I could tell," said witness. The gentleman referred to then admitted that he was wearing an English worsted, because euch a cloth was not made in his mill, but it could have been manufactured in other New Zealand mills, he eaid.

Mr. J. B. Gow, a member of the commission, suggested that witness should tell him what material was in his suit.

Mr. Preston, ori feeling the lapel of Mr. Gow'a coat, remarked, "It is Neither New Zealand or second grade Home cloth." Turning to Professor Murphy, he added, "Yours, professor, I think is British manufacture."

Professor Murphy: And rather snappy, too. .

The professor added that if his cloth was British, it was only by chance. Aβ far as he had observed, it was not the practice of tailors to state when a suit was being chosen, where the cloth was made.

Professor Murphy suggested that there were really two markets in New Zealand, the high-grnde market mainly supplied from English material, and that supplied from the New Zealand mills. Ho suggested that the two were not in competition. The poorer people bought the cheaper made up article, and those who could afford it the imported cloth. Mr. Pre-ston replied that New Zea> landers wore being educated to use the British cloth, and that their patronage of others was due to the high cost. Professor Murphy: I think the exchange is the main reason for that. Mr. Preston: Yes, but if we get some relief from the tariff it would be a bighelp to the high-class trade. Mr. Preston further agreed that a lot of the cheaper clothes were made from inferior imported cloth. High Cost of Imports. Answering Mr. Mander, Mr. MeCartio agreed that people were patronising the ready-made suits because of the . lug" price of those made from imported cloth. Mr. Preston said that many of his clients had told him that they would patronise him. again when things picked

Mr. Mander: I hope they are not buildin" you up with false hopes. Mi-. Mander suggested that a tailormadf suit was valued at three tunes the cost of the cloth, and the faetory-inade at twice the cost of the cloth, and that represented the difference in the two articles. Mr Preston: Well, one is mass production and the other is the work of an artist. It is like buying a print or an oil painting.