MEN’S CLOTHING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 6

MEN’S CLOTHING

SERIOUS SHORTAGE NEEDS OF RETURNING SOLDIERS The serious shortage of men’s clothing. particularly suits and shirts, was stressed by the district garment control officer, Mr S. R.’Medder; when he appeared beipre the Industrial Man-power Appeal Committee yesterday. The fact that a large number of soldiers and released prisoners of war would be returning to the Dominion in the near future, Mr Medder said, made it imperative that the'production of clothing for them should be greatly incroßs^d. Mr Medder told the committee that when it had been found by the National Garment Control Committee that the shortage of men’s clothing was serious a commission had jbeen set up to investigate the position and two members of it had recently: visited Dunedin. . ~ The present indications, Mr Medder said, were that there would not be sufficient clothing to meet the ordinary requirements of the large number of returning soldiers and released prisoners of war, approximately 8000 of whom would be returning in one draft. The position regarding men’s shirts had improved, but there were not sufficient materials available for’ suits. Every firm making suits had increased its production, but it was also necessary to increase the manufacture of the materials at the mills. At. the Oamaru Mills. Mr Medder continued, 13,000 yards of worsted material remained in an unfinished state, due to the shortage of labour. Everything being turned out by the mills at the present time was necessary, but the staffs could not cope with the work. , Mr H. S. Adams, representing the appellant in the case before the committee, asked Mr Medder how much worsted material was being exported, Mr Msdder. replied that only military, material was being se:* out of the country and that the export of this had slackened very little. ■? Mr Adams: It will be some’months before the prisoner-of-war draft returns? Mr Medder: About three months.