CADET UNIFORMS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20079, 7 November 1930, Page 12

CADET UNIFORMS.

MANUFACTURERS' PROTEST NAVY LEAGUE'S ACTION MISUNDERSTOOD. That the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association was under a misappre henslon regarding the action of t e an terbury branch of the League connexion with uniforms to be imported for a company of Sea Cadets, and that criticisms of the League at e Association's meeting were based on assumptions, was alleged at last night a meeting of the General Committee ot the League, when it had before it the following letter from Mr D. Hoare, secretary of the Association: — "At a meeting of '' held last evening, 1 was ,ns *^ C ur express keen disappointment that your League, according to newspaper report, is fitting out cadets with imported uniforms, when there is so much unemployment in New Zealand, in the clothing, as well as other industries. ®llt was noted from the newspapers that the League had complained to the Government that duty had been charged on these importations, and this Association, when this was known, and in the interests of manufacturers and the workers employed in industry, graphed congratulating the Government on its attitude over the matter. "It was pointed out at our meeting that at least some of the funds of your League arc by way of subscription or donation from manufacturers themselves, and it seems hard that their funds should be used against them. "I waa instructed to write you on this matter, in hopes that the New Zealand manufacturer may be at least given an opportunity of quoting for uniforms required by the Navy League in future.'' TIIO Explanation. Under instructions from the president of the League (Mr J. J. Dougall), the secretary (Mr C. J. Treleaven) replied as follows: — "This has reference to your letter of the 23rd inst. Your Executive has been misinformed. The committee of the Navy League has not imported i cadet uniforms. Publicity was given to enquiries having been made on behalf of a local corps of Sea Cadets who wish to procure Navy pattern uniform clothing and equipment and this has evidently given rise to the misapprehension.' ' Uniforms Unobtainable to New Zealand. Mr Dougall said that he desired, first of all, to thank Mr A. C. Maxwell, who was present at the meeting of the Manufacturers' Association and who had appreciated, more than any of the members of the Association, the motives which had actuated the League, and who had spoken up Btrongly and had struck the right notq—that the League was trying to do something for somebody else, and not trying to divert work from New Zealand manufacturers. The information given to the League was that suitable uniforms could not be manufactured in Now Zealand —they had not enquired into that—and Colonel Smythe had asked tho League to write t the Minister and ask that the duty should be remitted on naval uniforms that could not be purchased in New Zealand, and had to be got from England. Since then he had been informed that the uniforms could not be manufactured in New Zealand. He thought that the Association, in common courtesy, before publishing its views, might have tried to ascertain whether the League was importing uniforms. He 1 did not wish to find fault with the As- j sociation in its desire to support New I Zealand manufactures, but the letter from the Association assumed a great deal that did not exist; the Association had nothing to go on except the fact that the League had asked the Minister to remit the duty on the uniforms. Mr T. M. Charters said that the Association had rushed in and said a great deal without making any enquiries. Mrs 11. Wyatt: If we had ordered uniforms from a foreign country wo could understand the Association's attitude. Mr A. C. Maxwell said that he represented the Headmasters' Association on both bodies, and had explained that to the executive of the Association. He had told the executive that he felt quite certain that there was some misunderstanding, and that the importation of uniforms had not been considered by the League. Mr Dougall: I think we will let the matter drop. We never had the remotest idea of importing uniforms.