TAILOR-MADE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 163, 3 April 1908, Page 4

TAILOR-MADE.

, Sirj—WitJi. your kind' permission"!' would lileo to reply to-your'correspondent of; last Friday's issuo ro Arbitration Act justicie, signou_ "'l'leceer'' or "i''leeced.". From the beginning ho either' cannot know what his gnovanco is, or still 'wants to' go on misleading others by his statements as (.by his o\ra<confoSsion) lio.inust do in his trade. 1 In

the first caso tho argumont 'centreing on what was, and what was not said by the assistant .referred to, .when taking, an order for 'a so'called tailor-niadosuit, is really out of order, no argument at'all, merely '•quilling" I, to see bow. hue a lino can be drawn to evade ( tho Act: Rdw can a draper, merely because ho stocks tweed, and has a few pattern books, with a little knowledge as to how to take a measurement, call himself a tailor. • To put the whole thing plainly, certain drapers and others, not content to keep L« their'own trade must needs 'enter 1 into unfair competition .with 1 tho tailor,. and ■by deception and misleading statements, obtain orders which otherwise must go to tho "bona fido" tailor.. • Does;" Mr. "Fleeced" think 'he is acting fairly .When ho entices a man to.givo him an order for; a suit implying, by taking his measurements; otc., that" ho/is getting-a tailor-made, and then, goes straight away and gets tho order given mado up in one of the many "slop" factories in the. town, for I can. asstiro all it may concern, thht is where all drapers "tailor-riiadds". 'are usually put together :(I cannot say made). That is the grievance of tho tailor—tho genuine ones, and yet when'we make an attempt to stop that we here talk about justico! Where is it? Is it right that we-should have to go to tho troublo ami expense of proving these cases or breaches which really should ho brought by the polico under somo "corrupt practices Act." • I

Take a comparison: I go to a grocer's shop,' ask for butter, am given l "margarine." Jt looks like and is wrapped up like butter, perhaps has a label on ' it. What happens whou I.give information against that grocer? Can ho escape a line bec.iuso: his assistant did not tell me it was butter. ' deferring further to your correspondent: Wliat. employer has been lined "heavily'' 1 or through ignorance, of the law.., 1 ,Is '£u ;. n heavy penalty for a second or ,third conviction for the samo breach, and can there bo any ignorance there. In regard to tho quostion- of a deaf and dumb waiatant, lie., would perhaps' work for

loss Wages than another, and altogether ho very handy (to evade tho. Act), not committing. himself to anything. I might say 1 would lie pleased to answer any conundrums might bo put forward later. In con- ; elusion I must say that I am thankful to have the ehuneo of making public the unfair, i might say dishonest'v:ay, in which a great number of the public generally are treated to tho detriment of the tailor , and incidently to their own loss.—l am, etc., . ONE OF THE'EXECUTIVE OF THE W. T. U. r March 30. ,-£' r > Thcvo a somewhat ambiguous , letter ro lines inflicted o-n .a draper, who signs himself "Fleeced." He states , that tliero is a clause in tho. tailors'' award somewhat on tlicso lines: " A 'taiior-mado suit must >made in or on the premises owned or. occupied h.v whom tho order is taken." J ho reason why that clause was given by tho Court was bc-causo it was proven'that tliero was, mid aro. at tho present, time, unscrupulousdrapers who gull-the public they are getting a tailor-made suit, knowing at tho same time that it is going to' bo made in tho slop factory as a special where there aro no, tailors employed. Then .'ho goes on to say: "If a man asks for a tailor-mado suit to moasure, even if it is going to bo made b.y a tailor, tho assistant must tell a' deliberate lio, and say it-is not tailor-mado."' . N0w,.1, .maintain that'tho assistant would bo speaking the truth for once, at. any rate, be- I cause a tailor-m-ido,, suit is ono that. is measured for and cut by a practical leuttor, who . fits oil and instructs tho tailors-as to tho way lie wants the suit made. The reason why "Fleeced" panders to tho slop factory is because ho can get the suits rondo'at a small .cost, and a big profit, thereby by undercutting tho .legitimate tailors. Thou ho further,'states: "That by not tolling the customers where tho 'suits'-are made it .is.'loading tho customers astray, amd means' .a "fine 'of £5 and costs." • New " Fleeced blows as well as, I do I 'that a customer would not givo £5 or £0 for ft suit of clothes if lie was told that'-it would bo mado in bno of tho slop factories. To my mind, the fines aro-not largo they should be fined ?o as it would not bo profifablo for. them to' continuo 'fiecciiig the pu,blic.",l have it on good-authority that a certain 'draper' fleeced','tiio' public, to the tune of' £.18 per ■weolc for- just ? measuring tho customers-ai\d 'sending tliiv suitfs : to tho slop factories te be madb. So'.milch : 'for Mr. "Fleeced." Ho' further.,states ho . is. a draper, . taking orders for- two classcs-of tailoring— l-'iz., first, and ■second quality, Tho former'all aro tailor-made, but. not- in or on his premises.' /I; think Messrs.; Tregear ahd Co. should try 1 , arid find-''out. who . this "Floeced " is, and bring him' befo.re.' : Ju?tico Sim for a.broach of tho tailors' award. Then ho rambles about a doaf and,, dumb .-mute as an assistant draper, and has to keep a .boy to-do all thq talking. Now,-cananvono imagine a draper, aboye all.persons, employing a deaf and dumb mute When' lib can 'always got .v qualified draped for so Jittlo per, week ?. / Why,. his remarks aro absurd! — I am, etc.,' .. , . -\v ' WILLIAM WATER WORTH. ; April .1. >"■ ■ ■ ■