GENERAL EXPANSION

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 12

GENERAL EXPANSION

IN CLOTHING INDUSTRY. According to the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser), the completed statistics in respect of the clothing industry for the year ended March 31, 1926, present a brighter picture of the industry than had been seen for a number of years. Notwithstanding the huge volume of imported articles of clothing brought into the Dominion, and the keenness of the competition among local manufacturers, the statistics afforded ample evidence of a general expansion in the clothing industry as a whole. In quite a few instances manufacturers reported “flourishing conditions,” while “improved conditions” was quite a common remark. In a consideration of the conditions in that industry, he says, it should be borne in mind that sudden changes in fashion, competition from abroad, and the relatively large number of factories are factors that would generally : ensure erratic states of business as between : various factories from time to time. Relatively more complaints from manufacturers anent the conditions of the industry were therefore a more or less permanent feature of the clothing industry, as compared with other industries. Altogether materials costing £1,346,685 were worked upon in the clothing industry during the year, to produce articles of a total value of £2,515,280. The actual value added to the materials operated upon in the manufacturing processes was therefore £1,168,595. This figure, which is generally referred to in connection with statistics as the “added value,” the Statistician says, affords a very good basis upon which to judge the progress of an industry. The figure for the clothing industry for 1925-26 (£1,168,595) is the highest yet recorded for 'this industry. Compared with the figures for 1924-25, which was approximately £15,000 below that recorded in 1923-24, it ; ghows 4D ijierease of £79,827, er 8 per cent,