AMERICAN SKIRTS MUST BE KEPT SHORT

Chronicle (Levin), 1 August 1946, Page 5

AMERICAN SKIRTS MUST BE KEPT SHORT

m* * Received Wednesdav, 7.25 p.m. WASHINGTON, July 31. The Production Adniinistrator, Mr. •Tolin Small, has rejected an appeal by the National Woolgrowers' Association for the reinoval of style restrictions 011 women 's clothes 011 tlie grounds that tlie regulation is unneeessary and a thrent to fasliion and the wool iudust ries. Mr. Small declared that tw*o inehes added to the lengths of women 's skirts miglit cut the national econoniy by 50, 000, 000 l'abric yards within a year. "It seenis to 111c little enough to ask the wonieu's wear industry not to lnake increased demands for the sake of frills and fasliion changes, " lie said. He realised wool was the only fabric of which there was not an acute sliort age, but added: "If women were able to buy woollen clothes with uiiliniited lengtli anil sweep, 110 jiower this Gov eriinient posscsses could prevent the same freedotn in the inanufacture in eotton and rityon materials of vvhicli there is a deiicit of 2,000,000,000 yards this year." Mr. Small reported that Ameriea's industrial output rose 1o a postwar liiaxinium in .lune and promises were that July would reaeh the jirewar reconl achieved in December, 1941. Mr. Small, citing the increase of 5,000,000 persons iu tlie labour force between February and May, drev attention to the probubility that a serious labour shortage was developing which would limit ])i*oduct ion in tlie autumn. lie pointed out that labour demands would have to be iilled from a depleted labour pool ainounting at present to fewer than 4, 000, ()()() workers.