THE TAILORS' SIDE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18007, 6 August 1920, Page 6

THE TAILORS' SIDE

REPLY TO SIR JAMES WILSON. 'MISSTATEMENTS AND IN ACCURACIES." ERIC® OF MATERIALS. Strong exception was taken by Mr D. MiUigan, the well-known tailor, of Kclburn avenue, to tho statements made by Sir James Wilson at the Farmers' Conference as to the disproportion of the profits alleged to bo ma do by the tailor as compared with til© profits maiJe by tho wool-grower (savs the New Zealand 'limes), s ''I ; 1 Stco w ife Sir James Wilson," eaid ftlr Milhgan, "that people who blame tho farmers, for the high" price of suitings do so under a misapprehension, and in fio far as he wishes to exonerate the wool-grower from any blame in connection with soaring costs of liis remarks are quite justified. But when he goes on to make equally foundationless charges against tailors ajid others, it is a fair thing to expose his misstatements and inacouracies, even if he has made them in ignorance of the facts.

"Sir James would appear to be under the impression that most of' the suitings made up by the tailors are made from wool grown in New Zealand. Ho says (if correctly reported) that the wool-grower gets Is 3d a pound for his wool, it takes a pound to make a yard of cloth, and five yards to make a suit; and that the wool in a suit of New Zealand manufacture costs 6s 3d, and when the farmer goes to the tailor lie is told he will be charged £15 155." MISLEADING STATEMENTS. "Tiipse stag ments are most misleading-," continued Mr Milligan. "The facts are that for the last two years I, with other tailors in New Zealand, liavo only been able to get occasionally a few suit lengths of New Zealand manufacture, and so few in tho course of a year that they hardly count. So it follows that most of the suits which Sir James says the tailors get £15 15s for are not made of New Zealand material, but are made from imported worsteds and serges and the like. Now, most of these goods are made of merino wool, and to make a pound of yarn, just sufficient to make a yard of medium-weight cloth, it takes about 31b of wool, and. not lib as stated by him. "In January, 1914, this class of worsted yarn, called 2/60s, was 3s 4d a lb. It advanced steadily from month to month, till in May, 1918, it was 14s a lb, and in December, 1919, was 20s a lb. That was tho cost to the manufacturer. Then there -were his charges for weaving, dyeing, etc., the merchant's profit, shipping charges, duty amounting to about 7s a yard, bringing the cost somewhere between 35s and 45s per yard (according to quality and weight dt material) by the time it gets to the tailor's counter.

"Fortunately, Sir James is mistaken in saying that it takes five yards to make a suit—three and a-half is ample for the average man. Sir James also says if the farmer is wise he will say, 'I'll wait and wear my old suit another year.' I should like to ask him what he thinks the prico of wool would bo in 12 months if every man. in the Empire took his advice?

" I regret to say that those who take Sir James's advice nbout waiting are likely to pay dearly for doing so, as worsteds, serges, evening dross suitings, silks, linens, selicias, and other lines used in making suits cannot bo ordered now except at prices greatly in advance of goods already here, or already ordered. SOME INVOICE FIGURES.

"In illustration of my statements and in proof of my contention, please look at these invoices from England. My order, placed in March, could not bo supplied, and hero are the prices for practically the same goods dated June 10: 22s 9d yard tweed had ad-, vanced to 32s 6d, and 25s 6d per yard material had advanced to 55s 6d. Higher grade quality material had advanced in similar ' proportion." • Tho invoices wero produced in each case.

" These are just the ordinary materials that go to make up a man's suit," continued Mr Slilligan. "Now, take the lining and silk facings for, say, dress coats and vests. They have to be worn on some occasions. Where before, say, £5 worth of silk was used, to-day there is an absolute famine, and there is practically no silk facing material in New Zealand. I suppose the prico of silk alone would be from £7 to £8. Tho cost price in London would be 40a per yard.

Again, take this loz spool of machine silk. We used to get theso spools at the rate of 12 for 355, not 5s each.. 'They wero quoted to mo not long ago—here is tho quotation—at £6 3s per dozen, and this quality cannot be secured at the present timo for less than £B—and tho previous Erice was 355. The cost wholesale is, X elieve, nearly 14s per oz.

"In conclusion," said Mr MSligan, "let me show you theso invoices for worsted suitings ('grey pinhead' they are called). The cloth at the present time costs afc Homo from 2s to 2s 6d per oz, and the weight runs from 16 to 20 ounces. In Nov* Zealand the popular weight would be 18oz. At 2s per ounce 'that would mean 36s per yard. Then add 33 per cent, to the price for shipping, cartage, insurance, etc., and you have some idea of the cost of the material when it is la.nded in New Zealand— beforo the tailor touches it."