NEW ZEALAND GOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20926, 16 July 1931, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND GOODS.

WOMEN'S RESPONSIBILITY. LESSON OF ECONOMIC ILLS. NEED OF INTERNAL STABILITY. No time more appropriate than the present one of trade complications could be chosen to emphasise the necessity to buy New Zealand's own manufactures. The Dominion has urgent labour problems, apart from the telling circumstance of a heavily reduced income from its overseas markets, and economists are agreed that it is essential to construct a sound internal market. Another point which commands attention is the undoubted buying power of women. This aspect presents great possibilities, especially in a country of New Zealand's dimensions, isolated from the immediate influences of major trade and with a community possessing a comparatively high standard of living. There seems to be no valid reason for the absence of a well-ordered internal market.

Fortunately, New Zealand is being gradually won round to the cause. The curious thing is that the community did not learn the obvious advantage of supporting its own industries and providing opportunities for skilled New Zealand labour at an earlier ■ year. The strange antipathy to New Zealand goods, no doubt born in years when the Dominion's industries were nebulous, is now definitely being eliminated by the influences of wellplaced publicity and by the worth of the manufactures themselves.

Particularly is this the case in regard to the attitude of New Zealand women. For years past they have had before them the example of responsible merchants in stocking lines of New Zealand goods of a quality and a price comparing moro than favourably with imported articles. Admittedly, the lesson has been learned somewhat slowly, but it is encouraging to observe that the definite preference for the industrial products of the Dominion is becoming increasingly pronounced in all avenues of commerce.

I The movement may be at its beginning. If so, there is even more room for optimism. New Zealand's manufactures are > even now of dimensions which have a i powerful effect, as yet scarcely appreciated by the public, on the finances of the Dominion. Assuming that it is the ® beginning, one can anticipate with conl| fidence the ultimate consequences of New " Zealand preference. It is quite certain s that, were the general economic situation s more stable, the Dominion would be looking ahead to a period of prosperity in its e factories and a steady demand for labour. Ii Then again, the thought occurs that h what was really required to illustrate the >- force of the argument in favour of Do- " minion manufactures was a time of finane cial stringency. There is much in the e contention that prosperity was responsible d for an inadequate recognition of our own industrial potentialities and a correspondingly large support for foreign products. That was in the years when the ill-effects of unwise buying were not contemplated, s Equally evident is the truth that New I, Zealand women are in a position of great c responsibility. They realise, generally, n that it is in their own interests and for r- the contentment of their home life to sup- .. port unfailingly the purpose of New Zead land industry. The axiom of this pure chasing is obvious. Again, there is the d realisation that, in following this course, they have the advantage of securing goods of consistently high quality without the risk of obtaining inferior products of the mass production methods of some overn seas countries whicli are intent on capturing the world's trade to the uttermost. s New Zealand manufacturers are alive 'i to the demands of the day. It is signic; ficant that they accept every opportunity r to display their goods and invito the most searching comparisons. THE MODERN CORSET. i — — " f DOMINION MANUFACTURE. IT . - ' DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY. \ 1 A talk addressed to women, but one by r which he hoped to give men also some p idea of the importance the corset industry was assuming in the development of New • Zealand manufactures, was given over IYA last.week by Mr. S. S. Scott, ' general manager of Berlei (N.Z.), Limited. Listeners were informed by Mr. Scott that 200 people were employed in making , corsets in Auckland, and throughout the Dominion many hundreds of girls were employed in the corset departments of retail shops, selling New Zealand-made corsets to the value of about £150,000. At least 50 per cent, of the corsets sold in this country were made in New Zealand, a quota which was approached by few other New Zealand industries and especially those relating to wearing apparel. Before proceeding with a discussion on modern corsetry, Mr. Scott gave a brief outline of-the history of the corset/ No doubt he surprised many listeners by revealing that corsets ot one kind and another have been worn for over 1000 years, and it was practically agreed, he said, that they were, worn as early as 4000 years ago. The corset of to-day was really not a corset in the sense of 20 or even 15 years ago, Mr. Scott continued. Jt was a foundation garment made in the daintiest of materials and it held and moulded the figure in the most gentle way. The day of haphazard corsetry was. gone and in the corset industry to-day there were to be found fashion experts and physicians cooperating in the production of foundation garments that would give the utmost in health, comfort and style. , A few years ago 20,000 New Zealand and Australian women were measured by scientists in order to throw more light upon the subject of making corsets fit perfectly. Twenty-six individual measurements wero made of each of these 20,000 women and the mass of data was carefully charted. It was found that, in spite of all variations in size and weight, women could be reduced to five main figure-types.. This discovery, and the cooperation of physicians and designers to develop correct corsets to fit these types, had at one sweep lifted corsetry from a trade to an art, and instead of forcing the body to fit the size, as was done in I the old days, the foundation garment of ! to-day was, in effect, a made-to-measure garment approved by doctors. " Indeed." said Mr. Scott, " many medical men who are dissatisfied with the l , posture of modern girls, consider that 16 is an ideal age at which to commence with the foundation garment. Not only is modern corsetry a benefit to health, but with the new gowns it becomes a style necessity. The lines of women's dresses have become feminine and curved, while the straight boyish figure of a few years ago is definitely ' out.' The finest corset in the world, unless fitted to the typo of.figure for which it was designed, could not be of material assistance in the attainment of graceful lines. { "As far as the actual type of foundation garment is concerned, this is something . best left to the discrimination of the corsetiere engaged for fitting," Mr. Scott said, i " The woman who visits a good corset.iere and lets her personally fit her with the i garment best suited for her type will find that the modern foundation garment, far from resembling its old predecessor, will be the most helpful and comfortable garment she ' wears, to say nothing of its I effect upon the line of her modern tight-1 fitting frocks." J