WORKMANSHIP OF SUITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1921, Page 7

WORKMANSHIP OF SUITS.

ALLEGED FAULTY CONSTRUCTION. CASE SUBMITTED TO ARBITRATION The question of the workmanship of some suits made by a tailoring firm was the point at issue in a case heard in the Magistrate’s Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, before Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M. The action arose through a claim for £22 brought by (Emanuel Bergman (Mr. R. H. Quilliam) against William H. Broome (Mr. H. R. Billing), being payment claimed for work done on behalf of defendant in making a number of men’s suits. There was a cross action by Broome to recover £22 4s sd, being value of the material used in the suits, which, it was alleged, were unsaleable owing to faulty workmanship. Mr. Billing said that in December last Broome took 26 yards of serge to Bergman to have the materials made into suits, the price under the arrangement being £2 15s for making each suit. The serge was made up, but the suits were so badly made that Broome immediately pointed out certain defects to Bergman. The latter blamed the presser, and took the suits back to have them fixed up. They were returned to Broome in about an hour, and Broome again objected to the suits. Certain negotiations between the parties followed, and as the suits were so badly made, Broome offered to let Bergman have them at the actual cost of the material—an offer that was not accepted. Broome, in giving evidence, expressed the opinion that the suits were not saleable. The coats were made well, but the trousers and vests were not good workmanship at all. He was quite prepared to let Bergman have the suits if he paid 1 the actual cost of the serge. Witness had accepted one of the suits and sold it at just about cost price. He proceeded to give various instances of defects in the suits, and produced a number for the purposes of comparison. Three and a quarter yards of material were generally allowed per suit. For this amount better facings could be made than had been done in some of the suits he received from Bergman. Bad cutting could cause this defect. The suits were unmarketable as suits, though the coats could be sold as odd pieces. These would realise about 38s to 40s each at the most, whilst the material in each coat would cost about £2 ss.

■Cross-examined, witness said the defects he had pointed out to Bergman were faulty making of the trouser-bot-toms, the way the welts were put on the waistcoats, most of the pockets were too short, the size 3 waistcoats were too short and too small, and the stitching of the edges, and the way the suits were made generally, were defective. Mr. Billing suggested that each side should appoint an arbitrator, who should, in turn, appoint an umpire, to give Bergman an opportunity of remedying the defects to their satisfaction, and to judge what allowance, if any, should be made if the suits were not up to value.

Mr. Quilliam expressed his willingness to fall in with such an arrangement, and His Worship thereupon adjourned the case sine die in l order that the matter might be submitted to arbitration as suggested.