THE CLOTHING TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19107, 28 February 1924, Page 8

THE CLOTHING TRADE.

ALLEGED ABUSES. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. (Fbom Otib Own Corbebpondwt.? WELLINGTON, February 27. A large deputation from the New Zealand Clothing Trade Federation waited on the Minister of Customs (in the absence of the Minister of Labour) to-day with reference to several questions affecting the clothing trade, the workers, and the general public. Mr R. Wilson (Dunedin), president of the Clothing Trade Federation, said a grievance existed in connection with “mad© to measure” suits, and it was contended that the public was being deceived in the matter. Suits were being sold in stores throughout the dominion, and were passed off as tailor-made. When a man paid tor a tailor-made suit he had a right to receive a tailor-made suit. The consequence of what was happening at present was that legitimate trade was suffering. The whole of the master tailors were with the federation in this matter. The Hon. W. Downie Stewart: How does the deception take place? Mr Wilson: By advertising that the suits are tailor-made, when they are not. In some cases, he added, there was a “fit on, and in ethers there was no “fit on.” What the federation asked was that the public should be safeguarded against deception! In other industries there was some protection. Mr Stewart: How can you secure protection in this case?

Mr Wilson suggested that legislation should bo passed providing that a printed form should bo received by the customer certifying that he wa#f?etting a tailor-made or factory-made suit, as the case might be. Mr Stewart: Who is complaining, the public or the tailor? Mr Wilson replied that the public complained in many cases. The federation asked that purchasers should know just what they were buying. Mr F. R. Cooke (Christchurch), secretary of the Tailors and Tailoresses’ Union, said ho wanted the Minister and the public to understand that this was not a fight between the factories and the “bespoke” tailors. The deputation represented both parties. It was contended that the public was being deceived, and that the tailormade award was being broken. The word “tailored” was often used to deceive the public. The deputation wanted the Government to help the union to shut the adventurer out of the trade.

Mr Stewart: If a person cannot afford a tailor-made suit, and is content with a cheaper suit, you do not want to prevent him getting it? Mr Cooke replied in the negative, and stated that, a person buying a suit should know whether it was tailor-made or otherwise. The onus of proving the deception now rested on the union. It was desired that the Labour Department should take action in such cases. Mr Cooke then referred to the increase in the amount of clothing work being done_ in the homos under contract. This growing evil tended to sweating conditions, and was most undesirable in the general interests of the health of the community. Miss Runolman (Dunedin), secretary of the Tailoresses’ Union, also dwelt upon the evil of the increase of garments being made in private homes, and pointed out the difficultv of any adequate supervision of the conditions bv the Labour Department. Mr Stewart, in reply, said if there were any reappearance of the conditions which would give rise to sweating, cither through the use of electric motors or work carried out in private homes under unsatisfactory surroundings, he could assure the deputation that the Government would join with the deputation in preventing such undesirable conditions arising. He was in entire sympathy with the deputation to stop conditions of sweating bv the side-stepping of the law or of awards. As to tailor-made and factory-made suits, if the public were Being misled it should be possible to take measures to ensure that the public should know what it was getting. He would confer with the Minister of Labour on the points raised by the deputation. The Secretary of the Labour Department (Mr F. W. Rowley) said that in ' regard to work done in private homes, there might be special precautionary measures instituted to" see that the work was done under hygienic conditions. A provision could also be made that such work must bo paid for at current rates of pay. It was possible to frame a clause or provision to prevent sweating in such cases.