WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1924, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

VICTORIA COLLEGE. TAILOR MADE SUITS. LABOUR M.l’.’S. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, April 1 The students of Victoria College are making great preparations for celebrating the silver jubilee of the iiislitutioii towards the end of this month. About twenty-six years ago the whole of what is now known as the fashionable suburb of Kelluirn was a milk run, and was referred to as Moxham’s farm. A syndicate secured the farm and the problem ol preparing it for settlement was taken in hand. The college ground was a gift from one of the members of the syndicate and at that time it was regarded as being out of the beaten track, a sort of no man’s land. However the gift was accepted and the first wing of the college built. The cable tramway, which was soon built, brought the college within easy distance of the city, the formation of Kelburn Bark provided a convenient recreation ground and the students themselves have worked to improve the surroundings of tile institution. The tennis courts were excavated by the students out of a forbidding looking steep bill side. The

gymnasium and the social hall were erected out of moneys subscribed or collected by the students. A big rounn of festivities has been planned for the occasion and as the Elect, will lie here, the City should present many special attractions for visitors. TAILORS AND T.ULOR MADE SUITS The perpetual feud that exists between tailors who make suits to order and generally charge quite fancy prices, and the clothing manufacturers who make suits to measure and do all the work of putting the suits together by machine, was once more ventilated when last week a deputation waited dn the Minister for Labour to secure protection for tailors. It is very probable that the troijhlc arises from the fact that greasy wool has risen .substantial-

ly in price during the past twelve months, and worsted and woollen fabrics show corresponding advances. Tailors necessarily raise their prices and before very long suits will he up to the war time level, when one had to pay twelve guineas for suits. There was then a run on factory suits, because they were cheaper, and there will he a similar movement presently. Indeed it may be said 'that the movement has already begun. It may be taken for granted that the tailors have boon moved to complain because the factories are cutting into their businesses most effectively. The tailors desire that factory made suits should he labelled as such and not described as tailor-made or hand-made. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.

In a merchant tailors establishment the customer chooses his worsted or tweed, or serge, is measured for his suit and a date is fixed for a try on. In most factories the customer can get the same treatment up to this point. In a tailor’s factory the sewing machine does a good deal of the work hut there are men employed, and women too, who add to the expense of the garments. In the factory most of the work, or as much as possible of it, is done by machinery. There is very little Handling By either men or women. Hence the suit from . the tailors is tailor-made, and the suit from the factory is factory-made, and it is a matter entirely for the customer whether he buys the one or the other. It is doubtful whether any one is deceived by the use of the terms for the matter has been freely ventilated on several occasions. Owing to the higher costs of suits, which is inevitable, the fac-tory-made suit will become popular and the tweeds will have preference to worsteds. LABOUR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. Wellington people .study members of ’ Parliament at close quarters, and the members of various trades unions fri Wellington may be. trusted to know a j good deal about the Labour M.P. who ;

sits for a- Wellington constituency, or for any other constituency. It is somewhat significant that among the remits to he considered at the Easter Conference of the New Zealand Laboui Party, which is to be held in Dunedin, there should be several reflecting on the Labour members. The Wellington Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners will move:—“That no member of the Parliamentary Labour Party shall hold any paid position in or outside of the Labour movement.” This is a blunt and brutal way of indicating that some of the Labour members of Parliament are not in politics for health’s sake. . The Wellington Women's Branch is even more definite for their remit reads as follows:—“That in future no Labour ALP. be permitted to hold a remunerative position in the industrial organisation.” It is mainly Union secretaries who become members of Parliament and naturally they cling to the secret ;n csliips with their good pay as well as to the Parliamentary honorariums. The remits, if accepted, will have far reaching effects.