A CITY IMPROVEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18198, 19 March 1921, Page 9

A CITY IMPROVEMENT.

Ladies of Dunedin will be gratified: td learn that those old-established premises so well and widely known as “Alias dough’s?-* (opened in 1866), and wfiich have for many* years been controlled by Mrs Simpson, have been renovated, extended, and-in various ways improved, with the purpose of providing greater accommodation and facilities to customers, more prompt attention, and greater convenience for the lady assistants. Our representative—a mere man—finds it - beyond hi.m to adequately describe the - nature of the business conducted at “Miss ' dough’s.” but he is assured he need' nob worry, as in all probability there is not a }ady in the Dominion who is not well : informed in that respect. Suffice then td explain that the whole work involved in ■ ■ the extensive alterations which have been ; effected has been executed by Mr James Knox (builder and contractor), and solely designed by himself and the ( proprietors; and as evidence of careful regard for thef ; interests of his employers and of their customers Mr- Knox found means of carrying! on his work and enabling the shop to keep ' open, with the loss of only a day and a-half during tho 14- months (prolonged shortage of labour) he was concerned with the premises. A great deal of time was occupied with the preliminary work of excavating an embankment at the rear of the old premises, and in making alterations and extensions to the walls and' building generally; but the effect of this preliminary work and ; the taking ip of the officel premises at the back has been the doubling of the length of the shop and counter accommodation, and making it possible to provida deep and handsome shop windows on each! side of the main entrance. Further, it has provided a boiler room in concrete _at the rear for a new heating system, which has been introduced by Messrs Hall and Sons. Amongst the more noticeable improvements in the main shop is the contrivance of fixtures which are novel, inasmuch as glass' fronts are provided to all drawers and cabinets, the object being to enable cus- ■ tomers, without tedious investigation of their contents, to see at a glance and_ without handling the material they desire ta ; purchase, and to point out the enact colour and shade they require. There are 72 drawers so constructed to facilitate the selection of embroidery, silks, etc., and a large number of cabinets are rendered use- • j ful in the same manner for the display of cushion cords and wools. It will also be ■ noted by visitors that, to bo thoroughly up to date, two handsome cash registers have been installed on this floor. Madam Weigel’s paper patterns occupy a cabinet to themselves, and all are catalogued and ■ numbered separately, so that the one required can be turned out without ai moment’s delay. Another cabinet contains pattern books, similarly arranged for easy reference. A handsome staircase in the centre of the shop gives access to the upper floor, where stock goods are kept, with the same due regard to order as on the floor below. Three hundred and four (304) separate drawers properly labelled feeep thesa * ■ stock goods all clean and conveniently ( placed. On this floor also are a sitting room for the lady attendants, and lookers for their hats, cloaks, etc., and overlooking the street are the workroom and -the manicuring, hairdressing, shampooing, dnd massage rooms, all equipped with the most modern requisites, including electric batteries for massage, the removal of superfluous hair, and other What may be termed an overflow display is also mada on this floor of ladies’ toilet requisites -ia great variety. 4 This firm is the only agent m the dominion lor the Spirella Corset, manufactured by the Spirella Company of Qreat Britain (Ltd.), and which is recognised to be the “last word” in the art of corset making. It is claimed for this corset that it is sanitary, inasmuch as it does not pre- *:• vent free movements of the muscles nor of other organs of the body; and, perhaps equally important, it can be laundered as , often as required. Ladies who favour the “Spirella” acknowledge the claims of the maker —viz., that it is unbreakable, nonrustable. retains its shape, < flexible in every direction, and is hygienic and sani. tarv. The proprietors of “Miss dough’s’* realise that-the Spirella corset agency is s( valuable asset to their business. Ladies travelling to northern cities have frequently been informed, on inquiring in vain for certain articles, that in all probability Miss Clough would bo able to supply their requirements! This fact cf itself speaks for the favourable notoriety of this local establishment, and explains equally clearly how inevitable it would in time' become to provide greater scope for an increasing business. ' s The improvements made have, of course, been costly; but the proprietors- estimate that they nave been saved considerables expense by the consideration and skill shown by Mr Knox in using up to the best adran- »i tage all the < original fixtures and in pr»cti- - J caily scrapping nothing. In conclusion, it \ may bo well ,to say that the display p| «, ' J single day's mail enlightened our rfenrpsentative to the fact that the rOpdtwaon .of - ® “Miss ClqpghV* is Dominion -v,