PYJAMA SHORTAGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 31, 5 August 1944, Page 8

PYJAMA SHORTAGE

DIRECTIONS JO INDUSTRY

Pyjamas have been in very short supply in Wellington and the action recommended by the District Garment. Control Committee led to the direction by the District Man-power Officer | of machinists and dressmakers .to their manufacture. As a result nine appeals by the employers of those directed or the employees on the grounds of hardship were heard by the Man-power Industrial Committee yesterday. All were disallowed. The committee comprised Messrs. A. W. Croskery (chairman), P. Coyle, and J. Mr. D. R. Rankin, representing the District Man-power Officer, reviewed former transfers of clothing .trade operatives as occasion temporarily demanded, and stressed that appeals on that occasion were, disallowed "At the beginning of .1944 the estimated production of pyjamas for the six months ended June 30 in the Wellington factories was given as 106 000 pairs, based on labour and material in sight as at the beginning of the period," he said. "Due to a gradual diminution of the staffs of shirt and pyjamas factories, which in the six months has amounted to almost 25 per cent, of the total employees a^t the beginning of the year, the actual production was only some 49,000 pairs; or less than 50 per cent, of the anticipated production, which itself was by no means sufficient on a proportionate district basis to meet the requirements of the Dominion as a whole. This position was also reflected in other parts of the Dominion where appropriate action has or is being ta"The deliberations of the National Garment. Control Council on this matter were passed on to the District Garment Control Committee, which recommended that a number of operatives—not exceeding 36 in all—be transferred to selected shirty and pyjama manufacturing concerns, SELECTED MANUFACTURERS. A sub-committee of the District Garment Control Committee went into the matter of the pyjama factories to which labour should be directed said Mr. Rankin. After full consideration, and bearing in mind the. unsatisfactory results obtained earlier in the year in directing machinists, etc., to the smaller units, it was decided that the initial directions should be made to firms best fitted to cope with production quickly and economically. It was also qdecided that fox-a specific period would not satisfactorily meet the position, and, therefore, there should be no time limit ilTThf resolution of the District Garment Control Committee was then placed before the Man-power Utilisation Committee for the clothing trades, of which the District Man-power Officer was the chairman. This committee unanimously accepted the recommendation of the Garment Contror Committee, and a sub-committee drew up details as to the firms from which labour would be drafted, and as far as possible went into the actual selection of those workers who would beGene e r Ca tfly speaking, girls over the age of 18, but still in their twenties, were selected, and consideration was given to their skill and experience as machinists, etc. It was obvious that the firms from whom those girls had been directed must suffer inconvenience, but on the ether hand the demand for pyjamas throughout the D*e iOn fi r lmf *SA before the committee today as appellants," sad Mr Rankin, "are factories engaged m the manufacture of frocks mantles and blouses, which are not in short : supply in the Dominion. It is .submitted that the claims^of the pyjama manufacturers are infinitely greater An adequate supply of pyjamas will now be made available to the public through this action, and they will be distributed on an equitable basis throughout New Zealand under Govof the Man-power Utilisation Committee, for the clothing trade, in reply to a question by Mr. J. Meltzer, appearing for an appellant, said that procuring personnel from the larger factories would take too long. Moreover, the productfon rate in the larger factories was greater, and output would not be so much affected if the workers . were selected from the smaller factories. Staff problems were stressed, by the appellants. It was stated that in some cases they might be forced to close down. _____^___