MEN’S SHIRTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26635, 4 December 1947, Page 4

MEN’S SHIRTS

SHORTAGE CONTINUES MANUFACTURERS’ DIFFICULTY Special Correspondent WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. The concern of the Court of Arbitration about the shortage of men’s shirts is shared by men throughout the country. It appears that the “ shirtmakers’ strike,” which has been operating for many months now, is going to continue indefinitely unless the Price Tribunal changes its policy on the margin of profit to be allowed. Not all shirts are in short supply. Sports shirts are plentiful and shirts with collars attached are not difficult to find. It is the popular neglige style shirt with detached collars, which most city men wear, that is almost unobtainable. The shirt shortage began months ago when shirt-makers went to the Price Tribunal with their case for a certain margin to cover the cost of making the shirt and to allow for profit. The margin the tribunal granted has been described by the trade as absurdly small, but no alteration has been granted by the tribunal in answer to protests. Shirt-makers have accordingly turned to items of clothing and types of shirt in particular which yield a better return than the neglige shirt. Consequently all manner of sports shirts in a dazzling array of colour's is available, but still thousands of men are left without the shirts they arc now

desperately needing. Men are seen in Wellington offices with shirts that have obviously been patched and repatched with loving care by patient wives, who fail to understand why neither they tior their husbands can find suitable replacements. One man who made a thorough round of city shops in Wellington this week reports that he did find one shop that hoped to have some shirts coming forward soon. “ Keep coming in,” said the assistant, “ and eventually you will get one of the English shirts that are being imported. They will cost about £3 a shirt.”