ECONOMY IN CLOTHES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 24, 23 October 1920, Page 13

ECONOMY IN CLOTHES

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. Many people thought tliflf after the war the high cost of clothing would recede, that in tho desire- to forget tho vicissitudes through which the Empire has paused in the last six years, Labour troubles, demands for higher wages, and profiteering would becomo but dim memories of the past. But, what,do we find? Oji every hand, through one cause and another, the cost of necessaries coutlnues to iump, And tho price of clothing, suroh an important necessity, seems to have tho uncanny propensity to leap higher than anything else, and out of all proportion, to the earning.power of ordinary pec-plo Wo must have clothes, but if we cannot afford to pay fancy prices for our garmonte, what are we to do about it? There can bo only one answer to this question, and that is: "Economise." To people who have clothes that show rieible signs of having seeli better daa-s the injunction to economise may appear to be a trille incongruous, but, although they may not know it, (hero is a firm in Wellington that has for one of its primo objects tlio renovation by an extraordinary efficacious process of old, dirty, • and stained clothes, whether they bo men's or women's, and that firm is inn Victoria Laundry Company, Ltd., 88 Hanson Street, Wellington (telephones 11$ and 613). To do this the firm lim : erected ft special brick building, entirely separato from the laundering part of the business, and hero the work of dry-clean-in" is carried out. In considering whether they should send their clothes along to tho Victoria Company to be refurbished, people.,should disiwiate from their minds any suggestion that me clothes pass through tho laundry, for they do not. Dry-cleaning is simply one of the BTanchcs of the business that the company has. with commendable enterprise, decided to specialise in, and alhou<rh they cater for nil classes of the community, it is iho people of moderate w who should afford, th» firm every possible support, for tt is <m behalf of hose who cannot afford to buy nert ofhes that the company is fulfilling a Seeded ie ? utremeflMl»e cleaning and pressing of old garments so that they appear ns if new. Of course it should be understood hat clothes are not the only things tint the dry-cleaning department handles Who. a Dominion' reporter Jected the, works the other ■** all manner of articles were under treatment, from suits arid costumes, down to «r----nets, gloves, hats, curtains, and tab e«vera. The Department is under tho personal supervision of an expert, Jr. W Wills, who has had some 30 years evwrience in the dry-cleaning business. ThWSe should he a sufficient recommendation in the firms behalf. _ After the goods arc received they <u» sorted into their different, colours, and then the process of cleaning is undertaken Tne various things ore plaoea in what is known as cylindrical macbino, which is filled witn Sine from'a tank, sealed up,anthen revolved at moderate speed for two houw. By being so thoroughly immersed the benzine of the quantity ot which there is no "tinting, the clothes, or whatew goods are being washed have nery pnrticlcof dirt or grease that is in them oosened, which is not possn-o-»«■ «*"; nary dry-cleaning methods where the material is simply brushed over wim a rag moistened with benzine. Aext. tlie goods aio passed through u benzine .extractor, a machine which at first sight looks something like a mail boiler, but which is perforated with boles around its sides, and which is also made.to revolve at a high rate for some minutes This revolving pr<*ess, .extracts all the benzine from the materia, and the pe ro runs back into a tank, being before being used again, and thus tang made purer, .if anything, than what It was original- m \, cm Z ° ie + Ti wonderful process of all. The material is placed for twenty minutes in another largo cylindrical machine called o, dust wheel; 'which is superheated by steam coils, and which travels round at a moderate speed. As tho clothes-dry the infinite particles of dust are extracted by an agitating motion, and aro drawn through a- pipe for an ekctac-fan an dissipated into the open air. Jly being put through this machine every susge'tion of tho smell 'of benisimT is withdrawn from-the articles and they emerge' beautifully clean and wholesome-looking, and with the appearance of being brand new. i\o matter how delicate the articles, they are not subject to sbrinkago bv any of the processes employed, and tno quality i« in no way impaired Irom the dry-cleaning department tho goods pass to the pressing department, where steam presses, olio of tho most modern of pressing systems, are used. Alter, being treated here dexterously for some minutes the clothes, or other articles come out looking spick and span, and those who are privileged to wear or use them have the supreme satisfaction that, for the expenditure, of a few shillings, they'have been enabled to many pounds. ... u Hat renovating and blocking is another branch of the work which is supervised br an expert of life-long experience. All manner of. dilapidated head-gear is dealt with here, and before hey are returned to the owners the hats are practically re-made. They are handed as if they were new felt, they aie "proofed"' once again, and, where necessary, new leathers and bands are ntfixod. It will thus be seen that when a hat becomes shabby it is; no; at M requisite and necessary for the personal vanity as well as for the appearance of the owner, 'that he should immediately rush to a hatter's and effect a new purc ase. All he, has to do » todispa ch hi, "old shako" or Stetson to tho drycleaning department, of the Victoria Laundry Company, and thoy will artonish him with what they will bo able to do with it. ... • „, , „,i Country readers will find that by sendtheir old clothes, or other goods, to the Victoria Laundry Company s dw-ebmn-ing works,, they will receive the fullest degTce of satisfaction. Alongr with townsfolk, the farmers of this Dominion aro feeling the keenness) of the struggle for existence these dnys, and why should thev be compelled to pay ridiculously high prices for new garments when all that is necessary for thorn to do is to send their old clothes along to the Victoria Laundry Company, and have them treated by experts and returned lit: new? the firm makes a speciality of mail orders, and goods . sent to them through this method aie returned neatly and carefully packed in strong cardboard boxes. In conclusion, it will bo as well to remind everyone, whether they live m the town or the country, that the only sure way of bringing down the high cost of clothing is to refrain from buying new and dear materials, and to patronise the dry-cleaning department of tho Victoria- Laundry Company.-ffnblished by arrangement.)