TAILOR-MADE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 78, 1 April 1924, Page 8

TAILOR-MADE

QUESTION OF SUITS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF

LABOUR.

The question of the sale of factorymade suits, represented as tailor-made, was discussed by a deputation representing master tailors and the Wellington Tailors' Union, which waited on the Minister of Labour, the Hon. G. J. Anderson, 10-day. Mr. C. M'Fadzean, president of the Wellington Tailors' Union, said there were two tailoring systems—factory and bespoke tailoring. The trouble that had to be contended-with was that a number of mercers and factories used the terras "made to order," "made to measure," and "hand-made," in their advertisements. There was a great amount of deception in advertising in that way. The Hon. Mr. Anderson : "'Do you say that in those factories where they say that a suit is made by hand, it is not made by hand?" Mr. M'Fadzean replied in the affirmative.- There were firms which did employ a few hands to make suits, but the larger proportion of the work done was factory made. In reply to the Minister, Mr. M'Fadzean said the tailoring trade desired that a label stating the method of making, whether tailor-made or factory-made, ba placed on the garment. Mr. D. Milligan, president of the Wellington Master Tailors' Association, explained the present position, and added that there was no desire to prevent the factory people producing cheap suits, providing they did not represent or sell such suits as tailor-mads. In reply, the Minister said that the question had already been brought under the notice of the Minister of Customs (the Hon. Mr. Downie Stewart) by a •deputation of the unions concerned. The whole matter, boiled down, so far as lie understood it, was that the master tailors «nd the unions desired that the customer should get what he paid for ihere was no dosire to prevent a man getting a cheap suit so long as he knew what he was getting. Inquiries were now being made into the matter, and if nntT 3 t° bring "in legislation on the subject, all those interested would be consulted before the legislation was finally dratted