SHORTAGE OF CLOTHING

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24627, 25 July 1945, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF CLOTHING

MANY ITEMS LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED DEMAND POSITION “MISUNDERSTOOD” “Unless there is a radical change in the position, the supply of many items of clothing is likely to fall far short of requirements this year,” says a leading article in the current issue of the "New Zealand Draper,” the official organ of the New Zealand Retailors Federation. “It can be said, too, that unless there is a radical alteration in the position, an informed public will be asking the National Garment Control Council some awkward questions. It is obvious that the council has been lacking in its understanding of the demand position! lacking because it did not have a proper statistical background such as is vital to its successful functioning in the organisation of supplies, the fact that there is now a representative of the Retailers’ Federation on the council and that he has by now supplied it with the results of a survey conducted by the retailers should do much to offset this previous lack. "Up to the present, the council has been nothing more than a production council, endeavouring with inadequate machinery to meet the needs of the community and the war effort from local production. Its efforts have always fallen short of the mark it set itself, and accepting the position that it cannot provide sufficient supplies to fill the sometimes wide gaps that exist between stocks and rationed demand, it has contented itself with an effort to balance out the supplies. “It should not be forgotten that the Garment Control Council sets up its production target purely on the demand represented by the issue of clothing ration coupons, not On the real demand or the potential demand. And it has not yet hit that target. Its own figures admit a total shortage of 3,000,000 garments, Inclusive of hosiery. It is well known that some manufacturers excuse this deficiency by blaming the ration coupon allowance; a specious argument that says, in effect, ‘We can supply all requirements, providing the public Isn’t allowed to buy more than we can supply.’ Coupon Values "It comes as no surprise to us, therefore, to hear that suggestions have been made officially that the ration of clothing coupons should be reduced, or, at least, that restrictions should be placed on their use. Such a negative policy might prove an effective counter to questions as to why production falls snort of Garment Control Council estimates—that council being composed mainly of manufacturers’ representatives.

“It is recognised that family groups are relatively better off in regard to all supplies of rationed commodities than are single ration-book users, or childless married couples, but it cannot be argued with either logic or justice that the ration scale is over-generous. To quote only one item, the ration scale is based on an allowance of one suit to each man in the community- every three years! The retailers, as one. expert group, give the average suit a life of one and a half year*- Regardless of the quality of the cloth offering, it i| recognised that the duality of available thread U W heldw we-war standard*“The ration scald allows fewer of each type of garment than the retailers consider essential, but this question of suits is the outstanding example. The Retailers’ Federation was responsible for the original scheme of rationing, and It has no opposition to offer to any suggestions that might improve the position—but it does not think that a reduction in the present allowance of coupons is the correct answer to the problem of short supplies.”