"SHODDY " CLOTHING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18838, 13 October 1924, Page 9

"SHODDY " CLOTHING.

IMPORTS FROM BRITAIN.

CHEAP SUITS ON THE MARKET.

AUCKLAND TAILORS' COMPLAINT

The Importation into the Dominion of cheap ."shoddy" ready-made suits was strongly condemned by Mr. J. H. Dalton, the well-known Auckland tailor and woollen merchant,, on Saturday.

"Afc present the textile and clothing manufacturers arc experiencing a very dull time," said Mr. Dalton- "More than hall of those usually employed in the manufacture of clothing are out of employment and have been for the last throe months. The woollen mills are also experiencing a difficult time. The chief cause of the slump in the clothing trade is the importation of low-price clothing. When I say low-price clothing, I mean the cheap and nasty, that is made up with cheap labour and a mixture of cotton and shoddy, which is dear at any price. Some suits have been imported which, after paying charges and duty, cost' the importer 26s 6d. It is quite impossible for any manufacturer in New Zealand to put a suit on the market at anything like that price. But the so-called cheap suit is really the dearest, as the trade well knows. This kind of clothing and other low-quality goods from Britain are seriously prejudicing the industry of clothing manufacturers in New Zealand.

"Complaints coming to hand _ from some of our New Zealand mills are in line with those from the f manufacturers of clothing," Mr. Dalton continued. "It is alleged that shoddy and partly-shoddy tweeds a.re being landed in New Zealand and aro put on the market at such a price that our New Zealand all-wool tweeds and worsteds cannot compete. Shoddy tweeds are made from the shredded materials of second, third and fourth-hand garments, gathered by the rag collectors in all parts of Europe. We doubt very much whether the manufacturing process eliminates the ferms of diseases these undoubtedly harour. It is reasonable to suppose that if shaving brushes can spread anthrax, shoddy clothing will spread innumerable other diseases. They are made so that to an ordinary layman, they appear quite all right, but the weakness is revealed when they come to be worn, which is too late for the buyer." Mr. Dalton suggested that an association of young New Zealanders should be formed who would buy New Zealand clothing to the exclusion of all others, and that they be supplied with a button to wear in their lapel showing they belonged to this society. It would be a great help to the New Zealand trade and be the means of employing thousands more than at present. 'Some will argue," Mr. Dalton added, "that the price of our goods without outside competition would soar too high—that we should be paying more than their value. I contend that competition among the different factories would keep the prices reasonable. "These are suggestions and facts," he concluded, "and I should like to hear from some others interested in the secondary industry. If the evils I complain of be remedied, and the New Zealand mills and manufacturers be given proper encouragement and protection, it would materially add to the prosperity of the country. If the question of quality be looked into, it would be found that our mills are capable of turning out tweeds, worsteds, rugs, and blankets equal to any in the world." Upon being referred to Mr. Dalton's statement, a prominent Auckland warehouseman entirely discountenanced the serious character of the importations. It was true, he said, that an extensive industry existed in Great Britain for the manufacture of "shoddv" from secondhand clothing and rags, but he doubted whether much of this made-up material found its way to New Zealand. It was not in serious competition with New Zea-land-manufactured clothing, and even if it were imported in substantia) quantities, 't would exercise no appeal to the average New Zealand purchaser. Mr. Dalton insists that he can substantiate his statements. Extensive importations of "shoddy" have been going on for years, he says, and are now attaining even greater proportions.