Evening star., 1943-06-17
D. T.. laundries Limit
Service on Washable
Summer Suits
Monpower Shortages
Force CurtuiIment of
Light Clothes Cleaning

Men who swelter under the Capt.
tails blazing sun and try to find
some relief in washable tropical
suits may as we'll face the truth:
Chances for keeping the suits
crisp and clean this summer are
about as good as hitting the daily
double twice in a row.
Many laundries have quit handling
white summer suits altogether. Most
of the others are taking on no new
customers. Even if you've been deal
ing with the same laundry for years,
you still won't be able to get your
suit back in less than a week-more
likely, 10 days to two weeks.
Shortage of Help.
Most establishments are still dry
cleaning clothes, if you can wait for
about two weeks to get them back.
However, a few dry cleaning places
have hung out signs indica ting they
are accepting no more suits of any
kind except service uniforms.
The key to the situation, of course.
is manpower, One laundry official
said his place was now filled with
unskilled help. where once he had
nothing but skilled women.
THE Government takes them
away. or they go elsewhere despite
the job freeze" he said. I'VE can't
pay the kind of wages they can get
elsewhere This laundryman said
he would hire practically any one
who came to apply.
Naturally our service isn't as good
as it used to be. and we have to
restrict our activities somewhere.
The manager of one large laundry
explained that it takes about the
same length of time to handle one
white suit as it does to do the
washing for an entire family.
Prefer Family Bundles.
What should we do?" he asked.
Should we spend a day turning out
200 or 300 white suits which can
be worn only few days before they
must be cleaned again? Or should
we do the same number of family
bundles, each of which will take
care of a whole family for week or
two? We think it's better handling
family washing"
This same official said they were
taking white suits only IF forced
to do" He said his company was
not encouraging any one to bring
suits in and he pointed out that
the work done on them these DAYS
is not especially good because of
the lack of skill among his employees.
The president of large chain of
laundries said his company was still
handling white suits and was not
planning to discontinue the service,
but new accounts were not being in
vited.
Helped by Expansion.
Only one manager said his COM
pany was in reasonably good shape
as to manpower and that the chain
OF stores operated by his firm was
still able to take white suits without
restrictions. He explained that the
manpower situation was satisfactory
at present and that the company
was able to operate efficiently be-
cause the plant was recently en-
larged. This was made possible, he
said, only because a plant operated
by the same firm in the South was
forced to close, and the equipment
could be brought up here for the ex-
pansion of the local plant.
Another laundry official said his
establishment could increase its
weekly business by about IS 900 if it
could find the manpower and the
equipment. Under the circum-
stances, he said, it is necessary t:
restrict business to old customers.
Not single Chinese laundry
could be found where tropical wash
able suits were still being handled.
One operator of a hand laundry
pointed out that it takes too long
to handle a white suit because of
the care that must be used in wask
ing and pressing it.