SHORTAGE OF SUITS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 20, 24 July 1945, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF SUITS

REPLY TO MINISTER

SUPPLY & DEMAND PROBLEM

A reply to some of the statements made by the Minister of Supply (Mr. Sullivan) last week on suit shortages was made yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Retailers' Federation (Mr. G. M. Stratmore), who said that some- figures quoted by the Minister were not founded on fact. Mr. Stratmore said that though he had not had the opportunity of consulting the other members of the federation, the position as he undersood it was that Mr. Sullivan stated that one member of he House was reported to have"said that 300,000 suits a year were required, whereas Mr. Sullivan had qualified that to 240,000 to 250,000 for the same period. The difference was only a quibble, when one considered how far they both were from the quantities being produced.

"Mr. Sullivan says that instructions have been given to retain 50 per cent, of the. suiting materials for returned soldiers," added Mr. Stratmore. "This is not correct. Some considerable time ago the Retailers' Federation made recommendations to help with the suit supply problem, but nothing was done. In June, agreement was reached between the Retailers' P'ederation, the National Garment Control Council, the Rationing Controller, the Factory Controller, and the Department ot Indusries and Commerce. But nothing has as yet been done, and the usual- pro-, crastination is the order of the day. It is with some sense of frustration that retailers learn of this latest 'edict' because for some time many retailers have been giving voluntary preferential treatment to returned men and to genuine cases of hardship, so that these 'new instructions' could achieve nothing more than is already being done. The helpful attitude of the trade has been confirmed by the Factory Controller as a generous one.

What is required on the part of Ministers is a wider knowledge of what goes on, arid a more factual understanding of the operations of their executive staff, to say nothing of commerce generally. This would be of help to the public.

HOW LONG DOES A SUIT LAST?

"Mr. Sullivan states that 27,000 suits had been made in the first three months of this year. For his information the figure is 22,709. Maybe this also is a quibble, but whereas this is a fact, the total quantity required is unknown to Mr. Sullivan, as it is to the trade, and all estimates are based j on rationing requirements, which again i are based on someone's estimate of the life of a suit. How can anybne be dogmatic on that. The National Garment Control Council's estimated requirements of 166,000 suits for the year is based on a suit lasting three years. This is most optimistic, and when one understands that this does not allow of sports trousers or jackets to share some of the wear, then it is obviously absurd. No suit can last three years day-in-day-out without any relief. "The retail trade estimates that a suit will last one and a half years under the same conditions, which again is guesswork, but this means that 332.000 suits are required. Therefore the 300,000 quoted by Mr. Sullivan is not an over-statement. Add to this the fact that there are nearly 30.000 men overseas, most of whom will want a suit on their return, and one is impressed by the lateness in trying to make suits available. Stocks at present are at a very low ebb. "The present production will provide between 80,000 and 90,000 suits for the year, if the production is maintained. It is reasonable to expect that this will be done, but any improvement is not anticipated in the near future. Material shortages are not the prime cause of the trouble, but Mr. Sullivan is correct when he points to the pronounced shortage of woman-power in the factories." IMPORTATION OF PATTERNS. After referring to the endeavours made to secure licences for the importation of more paper patterns, parI ticularly for the use of home dressmaking. Mr. said that great resistance was met with'when endeavous were made to obtain licences to import garments -from overseas when they were offered. The weeks and sometimes months of delay were usually more than sufficient to result in the goods being no longer available. "One sometimes thinks that the Industries and Commerce Department is designed to prevent rather than help the New Zealand consumer getting sufficient of the goods required," he said. "The New Zealand soft goods manufacturers are trying to replace the whole of their pre-war production, plus all garments imported. On top of that they" have made magnificent efforts to produce military requirements on a huge scale. They have done a wonderful job, but it is physically beyond the plant and manpower available to do what is expected of them. The National Garment Control Council, whose job it is to get the best out of the New Zealand production, has achieved astonishing results, but there is a limit beyond which the best intentions in the world cannot go."