CLOTHES RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1942, Page 4

CLOTHES RATIONING

SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE FOR BENEFIT OF INDUSTRIAL WORKERS. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. The lion D. O. Sullivan, Alinisfor of Supply and Munilions announced today flic provisions which have been made for adjustments in the clothing rationing scheme to enable those workers engaged in industries where the wear and tear on clothing is particularly heavy to receive certain concessions to place them as far as possible on the same footing as other sections of the community. The general principle followed with industrial clothing is that the ordinary personal coupon issue is expected to cover working clothes up to a certain point. Beyond that point where the use of coupons for working clothes encroaches unduly on the number of coupons made available in the general coupon issue further coupon expenditure will be covered by supplementary coupon issues or in the case of certain industries by the issue of permits authorising employers to supply protective clothing coupon-free. On the other hand, those workers who are supplied with uniforms by their employers have up to the present been receiving a considerable advantage over those who are required to surrender coupons for theii’ working clothes and in future they will be required to surrender coupons at the rate at which it is estimated they are saving other clothing. The list of industries to which concessions have been granted was very carefully considered before being finalised though it will be reviewed from lime to time and any anomalies which may become evident will be rectified and amendments or additions made to the list. The detailed provisions of the scheme are as follows: —

INDUSTRIAL CLOTHING. Class (1) —(a) Protective Clothing on Coupon-free List: The following items are rationed but not couponed and may be purchased coupon-free without a permit: — Industrial aprons made of unrationed materials Clogs and special footwear supplied under awards Industrial garments made of rubber or synthetic rubber sheeting Rubber gloves Gloves of rough tanned and undyed leather ' Industrial gloves marked “industrial” Waterproof leggings and souwesters Gumboots and goloshes (b) Protective Clothing Supplied under Awards: Protective and industrial garments of the following description supplied by the employer under conditions of awards or industrial agreements may be purchased against official permits: Oilskins, working boots, aprons, veils, caps, vamps. Permits may be issued by the Rationing Controller on application by the employer. Where the employer provides these garments by established custom or for special purposes, application may be made to the Rationing Controller for permission for such purchases to be included in the provisions of this clause. (c) Special Protective Clothing: Protective clothing, for special purposes, supplied by the employer and remaining the property of the employer —not including smocks and overalls or any clothing issued to workmen and not remaining in a “common pool” —may be authorised for purchase in special cases. Applications for permits are to be made in each case by the employer to the Rationing Controller. (d) Overalls: Smocks, overalls, boiler suits, etc., supplied by the employer free of cost to the employee in the following industries may be authorised for purchase coupon-free, against official permits: — Abattoirs Freezing works Canister factories Tobacco factories Approved •munition works Electrical trades Wool, grain, hide and manure stores Permits may be issued by the Rationing Controller on application in each case by the employer. In all other industries, coupons must be surrendered for the purchase of overalls. (e) Other Industrial Clothing Supplied ’ by the Employer: Permits may be issued by Rationing Officers against coupons surrendered by the employees at the scale rate.

UNIFORMS. Class (2) (a) Uniform supplied by State Departments, local authorities and approved civilian organisations: Applications for permission to purchase material and to have uniforms made up are to be made to the Rationing Controller by the controlling authority. Permits will be issued on the condition that the authority undertakes to collect coupons from all employees supplied with uniforms, at the rate ox two coupons each quarterly period, commencing on December 1, 1942. Coupons so collected are to be returned to the Rationing Controller at the end of each month "in the special envelope provided at all rationing offices. Uniforms under this section are restricted to—coat, waistcoat, trousers (or skirt), overcoat, cap, jacket and shirt. same concession applies in Cases where ci monetary allowance is made in place of a free issue but in every case application must be made by the employer, who is responsible for the collection of coupons. Approved civilian organisations include Automobile Associations. transport companies, taxi companies, Salvation Army, etc., but only where the uniforms are worn for full-time work. (b) Part-time uniforms: Uniforms supplied by the wearer through an approved organisation, e.g., bands, boy Scouts Salvation Army (territorial), where’the uniform is. not worn as working clothes. Special consideration will be given to each case individually on application by the organisation to the Rationing Controller. (c) Nurses’ uniforms: The requnements of all branches of the nursing profession are fully covered under existing instructions and no change is m (co Uniform overalls: Uniforms supplied by the employer to waitresses, dental assistants, hotel employees, shop assistants, hairdressers, etc. Coupons arc to be surrendered in each case bj the employee at the scale rate.

SPECIAL ISSUES. Class (3): Additional issues of coupons may be made to employees engaged in industries where the wear and tear on clothing is particulaily heavy. Application is to be made n each instance by the employer, on behalf of his employees, direct to the Rationing Controller. The following occupations will be given consideration in this respect:— , . Class A (20 coupons) process workers engaged in manufacture of sulphuric acid. Ticklers or galvdniscrs of iron dr. jstccl sheets ailtt sheet metal goods. Class B (15 coupons): Coalminers. Process workers engaged in the manufacture of nitric acid, hydrochloi-ic acid, sodium hypochlorite, soluble

alkali silicates. Workers engaged in handling and preparing caustic soda, caustic, potash, alkali chlorates, chlorine, chlorinated lime. Class C (10 coupons): Metalliferous miners and tunnellers. Maintenance engineers. Boilermakers on ship repair work. Welders, blacksmith, electric and oxy-acetylene. Foundry workers, moulding labourers, forgers, furnaeemen and assistants). Workers engaged in smelting and rolling iron and steel. Railway firemen and engineers. Ship painters and dockers. Workers in ammonium sulphate section of gas manufacturing plants. Workers engaged in acid anodising. Electroplaters. Wool and basil workers engaged in carbonising, acidising or painting. Process workers in soap manufacture in sections handling,, preparing or breakin? down caustic soda. Class D (10 coupons): Workers engaged on approved defence and building construction works. Sawmillers and bushmen. Workers in lime and chemical fertiliser works. Shearers.,