The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-22

of ideas and origination of methods. Bel
gium and Sweden send out the best men.
IN Germany also the standard Is high, and
good men acquire the trade. Europe's best
Journeyman Uailors, OF all nations, come
to the United States. attracted by the 81
ard s. day wages, but the rank and file
of the unskilled workmen come also. and
there is no means of separating the fit
from the unfit except by actual trial, and
often at the cost of a ruined garment"
The merchant tailors' exchanges in all
the large cities have long been concerned
as to the shortage of skilled labor. They
have fostered schools of tailoring and Of
fered free tuition and prizes for the best
made coat, trousers or waistcoat executed
by an apprentice. In nearly every cas-
their efforts have been futile. A school
that could accommodate fifty pupils and
was differed by enthusiastic patrons, who
secured the most competent teachers,
would have only a dozen or more schol-
ars. The New York tailors exchange
even established gymnasium, where the
tailorS apprentices could have an offset
to their sedentary work, but enthusiasm
was not to be created. Even the poorest
boys declined TO enlist. They preferred
clerking al Sc or 81 week with no chance
OF promotion rather than trade that de-
manded such close attention, no matter
what future prizes were offered. Conse-
quently there is a mere handful of ap-
prentices learning the trade, and at each
recurring busy season the headquarters
for cutting systems and tailors' devices are
besieged for skilled Gu sters, designers and
sewers to fill positions in tanors estab-
lshments in the various towns and cities.
There are not enough first rank workmen
TO go round. The half skilled labor is
used in default of better, and their blund-
ers evoke anathemas in the back shops,
and much fault finding and consequent
irritation before the board.
1t is interesting 10 note the growth of
the trade which has become so indispen-
sable to woman's well being. Fourteen or
fifteen years ago there were only a few
Paris tailors making a speciality of ANA
zones" as lauies' riding habits were Term
ed. Then a woman, a leader of fashion.
who looked exceptionally well in a Sc
verely simple habit, conceived the idea
of having a street gown similarly planned
to set off her charms. The tailor who mod
e ed the innovation took special pains to
please his paCToness. Other women saw,
admired and initiated. II became a fad to
have at least one mar-made gown in
fashionable wardrobe. And first class tail
ors encouraged the idea by grating eXclu-
sive ladies' departments on to their origi-
nal plant and employing the best talent
man and her domestic sister of conserva-
tive TASTE perceived how well the tailor
made gown withstood wear and became
occasions when more dressy costume
was unsuitable. These began 20 order tail
or-made gowns, and the tailors, recognizing
this increased opportunity, began to make
up models sufficiently moderate in price
to appeal to conserva tive purses. The in
fiction spread, the comfort and conven-
ience of the gowns being their own COM
mendation.
1t is a quaint commentary that woman,
| the nearer she approa ches to the woman S
lights type in essaying mans occupations,
| should the more depend upon him to
| clothe her For all the professional wo-
men habitually wear tailor-Tnade gowns,
! as does the efficient woman clerks, secre-
| raries and supervisors, buyers and agents.
! And the club woman and woman ohilan-
! thropist. when she is called upon to direct
a meeting or address a conference OF
workers, picks out her tailor-made gown
| TO wear as the most suitable exponent of
| her attitude in the matter of dress.