THE PRICE OF MEN'S

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 83, 7 April 1924, Page 8

THE PRICE OF MEN'S

■ "A correspondent ("Genuine") writes to ."The Post" on the question of the price of men's-suits. " Tho,-writer:.says:— '..

'.'I have been very \ interested in recent reports, of actions, being taken by the Master Tailors' Association to protect.tho public .from being 'deluded,' as' they term it. Being a man who knows tho ins and outs of both sides of the question,.! would like to place before the public a few facts, which have not, so far, been- brought forward in the .discussions. 1 leave >k to every' reader of this letter, after perusing tho following facts, to decide for liimself. who it is' that calculates to deceive the .public. . I. maintain that the trouble is, that some'of tho suits that are being sold as 'hand made,' (made to order,' etc., haver been improved so much above the old. "slop made' suits and the retail"price is so low-that the Master Tailors' Association is very much concerned. ' : ■-„.

"I, have 'had., largo personal experience of the conditions under which both classes of suits are being produced, and ani willing to challenge anyone who cares to take it up. that'suits are being sold" in Wellington, and elsewhere at 79s 6d, and as low ■as 59s 6d, containing' as- thorough handwork ,aa the genuine, tailor-made, and sold to the public'at-from; £9 9s '; .'"Every, man knows -that to-day a' suit made by.-, a bespoke/ tailor costs him from £9 9s upwards, biit "th«S average man- does not know that-suits of the same quality material, and] lining, arid of: equally as gocJ, if not higher, standird of Workman Ship throughout,' can -bY obtained for £6 from those .not-concerned in keeping up thn high .'.prices charged.-By -the. Master , Tailors' Association, further, I can show and demonstrate ."to anyone who would like to' investigate, the-reason why this is so. The manufacturers of 'hand-made' suits on a large i scale can effect the following savings: —(1) ■By purchasing matorials in large" quantities direct from the British manufacturer, ho, saves the warehouseman's profits, Which would amount to 8s a yard on a suit of this dasoription. This on a suit means a saving of fil 6s: (2) Likewise, a saving on linings and trimmings of 5s can be effected; (3) A' saving on overhead expenses, of course, can aljvavs bo obtained by manufacturing .on a large scale,' and 'hand-made' suits can be turned out for an overhead expense of 2s 6d per suit, while a tailor turning out ten or twelve' suits a week would do well if he'< could reduce the overhead expense to £2 per suit. Even thon he would be allowing only £24 par week, and this would be a .very low shop exipensp. Now, sir, it can ; be seen how a saving of £3 8s 6d can be effected, without in any way reducing -the standard or quality of the suit. . The actual difference of price would be more than thjs, because the tailor would require a .profit on tho extra outlay of £3 8s bd-" , The correspondent, adds that "genuino' tailor made clothes," so far as vests and trousers are aoncorned, are \"in every rase mado by the same girls who make tb» hand-mado suits that are complained of as not'genuine/' Further, that ;"handmade" suits are. as^trenuino as "tailor madeI' —-more 50,., in fact, ns "no tailor in Wellington is to-day producing' the penuine tailored suit." The correspondent concludes with expressing confidence ;in the" Government that it will ignore any request' that is calculated to maintain high prices for clothes.