THE WOOLLEN TRADE

Southland Times, Issue 18616, 14 August 1919, Page 6

THE WOOLLEN TRADE

SHORTAGE OF STOCKS.

PRICES RISING IN ALL DEPARTMENTS.

I ‘Thorp is still a shortage of woollen goods all over New Zealand,” stated a warehouse manager to a New Zealand Times reporter last week, “and the position appear* to he getting worse. In fact, there are no stocks in the warehouses to speak of. 1 don't think it is possible to secure saddle tweed in Wellington at the present time, while ordinary tweeds are very scarce. There is a continual inquiry for blankets, but the orders received cannot be satisfied even by reducing the quantities to a minimum, Some idea of the state of the woollen market can be gathered from the fact that the mills in New Zealand are refusing to accept orders for next winter’s supply. Our stock of tweed trousers is represented by 25 pairs and our season for new goods only opened on August 1. There is one consolation, and that is that the winter is nearly over and cotton goods will be mainly worn." COTTON IMITATIONS. On being congratulated on his apparent good stocks of tweed, the manager of a department replied, “Examine the goods and see for yourself.” The fixtures were loaded with ready-made clothing in the shape of trousers, but examination of the material showed that it was cotton, and cheap cotton at that. The articles wore manufacured in America and Japan, and the price asked for them was above that for the best worsteds prior to the war. The American trousers were of cotton “mole” and of poor quality. To all outward appearances the Japanese were sending forward a worsted equal to the best English, the imitation was so perfect, but the quality was more truly described by the manager of the department when he referred to it as “muck." :

Box-suits (ready-to-wear clothing) are not easily obtainable. Some wholesale firms have not had a box suit in stock for two months, and arc not likely to have any for some time to come. MERCERY.

Men’s mercery is advancing in price all the time, and leather goods arc in a similar position. In 1914 three-fold linen collars could be purchased wholesale at 6s per dozen; the price is now 12» and a further rise is anticipated. The price of shirts, hats, ties, and braces is also steadilv advancing as stocks become more difficult to secure. Shifts which at the commencement of the war cost 54s per dozen, are now 120s; ties which were formerly 20s per dozen have advanced to 40s; hats from 72s to 168s per dozen; and braces from 8s to 18s per dozen pairs.

The better class of leather goods have advanced from Is 3d per inch to 2s 6d and 3s per inch.

HOSEERY,

It is extremely difficult to procure stocks of hosiery, and woollen goods are practically unobtainable. The cotton market is “jumpy,” but fair stocks of cotton and silk hosiery are held of Canadian and American manufacture. The fashion in hosiery this summer will be self colours in cotton and silk ankle.

Gloves are scarce, and the only stocks held comprise the lower-grade qualities. Small shipments were being made, bat the coal strike in England is expected to make a big difference to the mills, and in consequence only restricted quantities of Englishmanufactured goods will be coming foryartL