PRODUCTION OF MEN’S

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 258, 28 July 1945, Page 9

PRODUCTION OF MEN’S

SUITS Minister’s Comment On Criticism

"Mr. Strut more, president of the N.Z. Retailers’ Federation, iu a statement appearing in ‘The Dominion’ has criticised remarks made by me in Parliament, and has charged me with lack of appreciation of the facts,” said tho Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan. ,“X would like, before dealing indiyiduaily with the points raised by Mr. Stratmore, to say that all matters connected with the Garment Control Council’s activities, including the statistics produced by that body, are received regularly by me. -and in view of the importance. of clothing our people they are studied carefully immediately they are received. “I have carefully checked the statistics of production before rationing and find that in the five years immediately preceding rationing the average production was 220,000 a year, and I think it can be said that in at least the decade preceding rationing, importation of men’s suits was a very small factor. The best year of production was the year 1939-40, when 281,000 suits were produced, and notwithstanding a falling-off in production, due to military contracts and manpower deterioration, .1 think that after almost six years of war, aud with clothes rationing over the past three years, it can still be said that New Zealand generally is very well clothed by comparison with other countries. "Mr. Stratmore has taken me to task for quoting production in the first three months of this year us being 27,000, and lias, iu combating that statement, produced a figure of 22.709. Mr. Stratmorc, though he has had access to Garment Control Council figures, has ignored the production of 4648 manufactured by bespoke or jobbing tailors, which arc in addition to the 22,709 quoted by him. “It is interesting to note that in a recent survey conducted by the Retailers’ Federation, and quoted by Mr. Stratmore nt the last Garment Control Council meeting, men's suits were relegated to seventeenth place in the list of priority garments.

Source of Materials.

“Woollen materials for men's outerwear are obtainable froin three sources: (1) The local woollen mills, where, over it period, military production was up to 80 per cent, of total output and though now substantially reduced, the manpower drain from within that industry has been so pronounced that production has fallen. (2/ From the United Kingdom, where New Zealand is on n quota for woollens. (31 From Australia, where again New Zealand is on a limited quota,” Hie Minister continued. “Our quotas have always been taken up in full and consequently no blame can lie attached io tlie Government for restricted importation of tlie necessary woollen piece goods. “Willi regard to ancillary items, as for instance cotton ami art silk linings, pocketings, mixtures ami iulerlining.s, every effort has been made to ensure n continuous ami adequate supply, hut extreme difficulties hav ( « existed in obtaining deliveries. 1 nlerlinings. of which llie United Kingdom is our source, were not in production for some time, and .special airangeiueiits were made to set aside from u ur woollen allocation an amount for production of interlinings which did not begin till four months later than was expected by tlie United Kingdom Government. Latest advice Is that production is now proceeding. “In my previous statement on this matter I mentioned that retailers had been asked to set aside 5(1 per cent, of suiting materials. Retailers were asked by tlie Factory Controller to set aside 50 per cent, of suit deliveries to meet lhe needs of returned servicemen. The Factory Controller, in making this request. recognized that many retailers hml already taken action along these lines, but in conversation with representatives of lhe I’etnih-rs’ Federation it wns agreed by tlivin that their hands would be strengthem'd if siteli a request, were made. The I-'m-lor.v Coni roller advises me that his formal request to the federation was made in writing by letter to the secretary of the federation on July 19-15.”