CHILDREN'S CLOTHING

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1946, Page 2

CHILDREN'S CLOTHING

MANY LINES IN SHORT ' SUPPLY LOCAL RETAILERS' VIEWS Children’s clothing is in extremely short supply in. Greymouth. From small shoes for toddlers to serge suits fcr boys in their teens the supply is far outstripped by the demand and there appears to be no immediate prospect of any easing of the position. Items classed as “almost impossible to procure” by a retailer, with whom an Evening Star representative discussed the position this morning, are boys’ sports coats, tweed overcoats and suits. School blazers, he said, were obtainable only occasionally, shirts were difficult to procure, and school stockings were few and far between. Another retailer stated that he had had no school uniform stockings this year. This has led to a relaxation in dress regulations at local schools. Whereas in former years it was a most uncommon sight to see boys of the Greymouth Technical High School wearing anything but the regulation stockings, boys may now be seen every day of necessity breaking the rules as to the wearing of uniform clothing. It was suggested by a retailer this morning that one reason for the stocking shortage might be the fact that manufacturers had their looms fully occupied in fulfilling contracts for UNRRA. In addition, he said, many looms were idle because of the shortage of female labour. Opinions Divided. Opinions as to the shortage of other commodities were divided. Some retailers said that the labour was not available, while others maintained that the goods were being made but were being held at the factories pending the granting of an increase in retail prices by the Price Tribunal.

It was stated that, although manufacturing costs had been increased lately, the claims of manufacturers for a parallel increase in retail prices had not yet been approved. Because of this goods were accumulating at the factories until, as one man put it this morning, “the Price Tribunal comes to its senses.” Footwear for their children is providing parents with a problem today. The distribution to retailers is on a quota basis and the quotas are, according to Greymouth firms, insufficient. “Our quota will arrive in a few days,” said one businessman this morning. “It will be sold out within a week and we shall then have to wait four or five weeks for the next lot.” Children’s shoe sizes 7, 8 and 9 are particularly difficult to procure and here again the retail price was said to be inadequate because of rising factory costs. Manufacturers, it was stated, had found it uneconomic to make certain lines of shoes because they did not obtain an adequate return, for their work. Import Restrictions. The patent ankle-strap shoes worn by very small children are in a different category from other types of shoes for juveniles as they are nearly all imported. Shortages in these small lines occur periodically depending on the import licences granted and the shipping available to bring supplies to New Zealand. Seme Greymouth firms do not expect further supplies of many of the items listed before Christmas. The one bright qemment during the inquiries made this morning was: “Well, we have plenty of children’s underwear and pyjamas, even if we have nothing else.!”