MEN'S CLOTHING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 3

MEN'S CLOTHING

A SHORTAGE IN .VIEW,

A Wellington iunfcr 'in a sifbstantiai way informed a Dominion reporter that, according to the present outlook, there was likely to lie an acute shortage of men's wearing apparel in New Zealand. "The Teason," lie" said, "is not difficult to arrive at. In the ordinary course of trade two-thirds of our. supplies comc from England; now the quantity of .such goods, coining from the Old Country 1« negligible, and from the prosyccts is not likely., to improve sufficiently to afford any relief to us this summer. At the same time the 'quotes' for English clothes are amazing. Men's pyjamas, which used to cost 9d. per dozen pairs to make-up in London (from the cut pieces) are now' costing s*. Gd. per dozen. The war-time wages have had a grent influence 011 raising the manufacturing cost of everything in England, and I don't think wages will evor go hack to what they were. ■ What this will mean to tlie trade of England is hard t6 say. Japaji and America are already cutting in with cotton goods, and I suppose it will not be long before Germany gets going, if slio is to pay lier indemnities sho must be ■ allowed to trade. "With England cut out we arc practically thrown 011 our own resources for tweeds, ready-mado suits, and underwear, and tho mills of New Zealand are going "all out" to m_eet tho demand, but, of course, it is not- possible. The other day I plnccd an order for 2flo suits for the pre-Christmas trade with a New Zealand firm—they allowed me thirty. "Now the Totalled men are getting their gratuities, and are spending money freely in outfitting themselves for civilian life. Tihis will mean that a good deal of money wSI lie spent on clothes all over New Zealand during the next mon.tli which 1 would not have boen spent in the ordinary way, and whilst one might say that it is good for business the position is going to become acuta for tho other innn a little later on. Most of the wholesale houses have sent representatives across to Australia to see if they can get anything that is needed here. Outside hats and boots they cannot get. much, as Australia, like New Zealand, is suffering owing to tho cutting off uf English supplies."