THE PRICE OF CLOTHING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17257, 5 September 1919, Page 9

THE PRICE OF CLOTHING

INTERMEDIATE PROFITS.

COMMITTEE'S SUGGESTIONS.

VIEWPOINT OF RETAILERS.

The report of the Parliamentary- Industries Committee stated in regard to the cost of woollen goods that evidence had been submitted to the committee that there were too many intermediate profits between the producer and the consumer, and the remark was made that this cause of complaint might be removed if the retailer were enabled to deal direct with the mills and not be compelled,- aa at present, to purchase from certain wholesale merchants.

[ Prominent retailers of men's clothing who were seen yesterday stated that most retailers do purchase direct from the m i I u ut -' " dmitt tnat those mills which have warehouses of their own mav charge a warehouse profit over and above the mill profit. One man said he doubted if the prices charged by the manufacturers were justified in view of the fact that the raw material was obtained at the requisition price, but another trader in the same lines defended the mills against the charge of profiteering, stating that all manufacturing costs had increased. He said, however, that the position might have been better for the manufacturers as well as for the public if the mills had shown more enterprise in extending their plants during the last few vears and had purchased American machinery, even at the high prices ruling. When all was said and done, the demand was exceeding the supply in all classes of men's clothing, and thus competition was eliminated. Retailers were living on a hand-to-month system. Orders given a year ago had not been fully supplied and subsequent orders sometimes find produced nothing. "In all classes of made-up clothing we are practically being rationed." said one retailer, rather ruefully, and he gave the impression that the seller of men s clothing felt as much a victim of circumstances as the unfortunate ■who now gets two garments for the money which used to buy three.