TO MY SITTING MEMBER

[Vic Jefferies]

Maureen, just caught up with your post and request to change the title of the poem! I pinched the title of CJ Dennis' The Silent Member! Never thought of the possible innuendo (should I use that word in this context?) contained in the title.
I went to one of the shops of our most iconic "boot" and clothing suppliers the other day and saw a shirt there that they wanted $149 dollars for, which was made in China! An ordinary shirt, nice but not out of the ordinary that would have probably cost about four or five bucks wholesale. A pair of cotton BVD style underpants was on sale for $46.95 and yes, they too were made in China. Can not believe anyone buys this mass produced Chinese made stuff at those prices but obviously they do. Are we all nuts?

[Neville Briggs]

I read somewhere Vic, that Alexander the Great after he had conquered the Persian Empire made the statement " the Persians cannot say no, therefore they will always be slaves "

has a rather ominous echo to own time.

[Vic Jefferies]

G'day Neville,

It may sound as though I am getting old and grouchy ( a little bit of the former and a large bit of the latter) but I have spent a bit of time in Asia over the years and have seen how and where a lot of similar stuff is made and by whom.
We are paying outrageous prices for very cheaply and poorly made imported clothing and I just cannot believe how complacent and stupid we as consumers have become.
We have sacrificed our own manufacturing industries and craftspeople who in the main produced quality products (remember the original Fletcher Jones; Stamina suits and clothing; Julius Marlowe, Packard and Mellor shoes;Packard; Pelaco and Whitmont shirts, etcetera) for junk and are happy to pay what is often more than enormous mark up prices for the privilege. Next time you look at a shirt or dress in a shop just stop and think how much it REALLY would have cost to make in the sweatshops of Asia and compare that to the price being asked for the item here.
About ten years ago I was in England and was astonished to see the good quality clothing on sale in the shops. They hadn't, up until that time at least, fallen into the same trap as us and were still producing and selling their own much better made clothing and footwear. Admittedly they were paying high prices but in return they were receiving quality goods and preserving their own industry.
It seems to me that the quality of what we are being sold is diminishing everyday and the prices are rapidly increasing, however we in our wisdom have exported our textile industry and our shoe manufacturing industry as well as many other industries and we are now at the mercy of the importers.

"..........And Mr Politician could you tell me why it's so?"

Vic

[Jasper Brush]

G'day.

There is an explanation.

This is it.

If Australia exports say 60 billion in goods to China. China expects us to by buy something in return, or they will think twice about buying our stuff.

The hourly rate for a worker in China has risen from 90 cents four years ago to $2.00.

The current hourly rate for workers in

Indonesia: $1.30
Taiwan: $1.60.
India: 30 cents.

Yep! you guessed it the standard of living in China has risen so much that the Chinese government are setting up manufacturing businesses in India and making a motsa.

This is the reason you get a lot of Indians trying to explain technicalities when you ring for technical service. Cheap hourly rate.

Though Telstra's 'call service' comes from the Philippines.

Regards,

John

[Vic Jefferies]

I saw the show you refer to Marty and it was excellent. Have never ever worked out how jeans can cost a hundred or more dollars! Watched them being made in Thailand by the hundred if not thousands of pairs a day by poor people who were obviously being paid very little.
John I know about the balance of trade thingy but how does one account for T shirts that probably cost a dollar or so to make being sold for fifty and more dollars in retail shops, more importantly why do people pay these ridiculous prices for what is obviously cheap mass produced poorly made garments?

[Jasper Brush]

G'day Vic;

If Australians want to spend there hard earned cash on rubbish that is their prerogative.

I buy my my clothes and shoes at 'Rivers' most of their merchandise is manufactured in China. They are far superior of any other products I can buy

The 'Great Wall' vehicle manufacturer outsold Jeep vehicles for the month of April and May and will challenge Nissan and Range Rover in the next quarter. This should give some indication of what is going to happen in the future.

Regards,


John

[Vic Jefferies]

Have to agree John, I buy most of my shirts at Rivers Clearance Stores too. Most of their stuff is about the best you can hope for these days.
Point of the story is nobody seems to be looking to the future. You are absolutely correct in what you say about the Chinese entering the motor market as well.
When I went to school (more than half a century ago) we were taught about why we in Australia had to impose tariffs on imported goods. Put simply it was to preserve our manufacturing industry as we recognised we could not possibly compete or withstand the importation of goods from countries which had much cheaper labour than us. Seemed simple enough to me but then I am not all that bright.
Interesting article in the Herald yesterday about how the cost of labour in China is steadily increasing to where now some European and Australian companies are finding they cannot rely on what was for them a cheap labour source! Apparently some of the foreign companies are moving from China to Mongolia where labour is still cheap! Are we all nuts?

[Vic Jefferies]

Anyone see the wonderful documentary on tv last week about Fletcher Jones?
He was an amazing man who believed that the ordinary worker was as important as the most senior administrator in any company and at one time employed more than three thousand people.
He built his clothing empire on producing top quality garments which in the end was the downfall of the company in that with the Federal Government's removal of tariffs the customers preferred cheap poor quality imported clothing rather than the more expensive Fletcher Jones quality.
The factory now stands empty and deserted in Warrnambool Victoria.

[Vic Jefferies]

Just been told Macca played this one on Australia All Over week before last. Thought he'd like it.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Excellent Vic and his audience would have loved it - reckon that is one of the best shows - dearly loved by country folks we never missed it Good on you