Cabinet-making in Auckland.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 203, 30 August 1886, Page 4

Cabinet-making in Auckland.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—ln answer to " Sufferer's " letter of Thursday last on the above subject, I shell be glad if you will allow me to say a few words. 1 quite agree wkh " SulTerer" that Auckland contains some lirst-class cabinet-makers, and also that the trade is nearly defuuet, and now, who is to blame 1 I say everyone connected with furnituro in Auckland. In the first place, the public of Auckland, Tho have not taste enough to see the difference between a job made of honest New Zealand wood and the villainous stuff scraped up in tha courts and alley? of Curtain Road and the

"Ditch," and exported by tbo ship-load. Tho Auckland public cry out loudly if an attempt is made to reduce their wage? or to curtail a holiday in ar.y way, and I think if they onco gave it a thought that by buying cheap English furniture they were keeping up a system in which men have to work day and niyht in collars and garrets for a lew shillings a. week, they -would re nouueo imported furnituio for ever. In tho second plaoo I think that if tho furuUhing houses wei'3 to try to educate the people.; tasto by presenting to their view furniture made ot our beautiful native woods in good designs, instead of tilling their ehow-rooma with imported stuff, thero would ttill bo a ohanco for the cabinetmaker to got a living, which at present he ia unable to do. Another source of hard times for tho cabinetmaker is as follows :—ln dajs gone by, when carpenters woro getting 10?, 11s, and 12s per day, cabinetmakers wages never re£3 above Ss ; yet, no soontr does tho carpenter fall out ot work than ho thir.ks he is good enough for a cabinetmaker, and forthwith proceeds to put good timber into the most abominable shapes over thought of, and fiiie tho salerooms with tho same. It is a well known faot, and can be proved overy day, that at proaentfurniture is cheaper in Auckland than in London, quality for quality—a thing which would never bo if every man was honest to his neighbour, and willing to pay a fair price for a good tii tic-le. " But," soma of your readers maj Bay, "a man has tho riglit to s>penu his money in tho cheapest mailiet." To (hat 1 say, yes and no, No doubt ha has a legal right to do so, but I pay no man has the moral right to come hove and cam large wages, and send his motK-y out of the colony. I suppose tho blicklaj er, carpint r, blacksmith and every other citizen whose work cannot be imported will admit that tho tailor, shoemaker, and cabinetmaker have 08 much right hero as they have ; but how do the former oxpect to bo employed at large wages if they do not spend their money on colonial-made goods, instead of buying imported clothes, boots, furniture,

and other things ? I will venture to say that if tho working'men in Auckland, when in receipt of good wages, had made it a point of buying everything they required of colonial manufacture, we should now he spared the melancholy night of seeing hundreds out of woik in this city. And now let us nee what chance the manufacturer has of competing with the " sweaters" of London. To start with, we have the most beautiful furniture woods in the world, but if wo want veneer it must be sont to the Thames to be cut. We are then mot with .such slight drawbacks 33 having to pay 200 per cent, more for everything we use (except timber) than we should in London. Should anyone doubt this statement, I will prove that glass, marble and cabinet bras 3 woik are three timea dearer here than in England. Should anyone determine to import what he requires, ho has to pay 10 per cent, duty on every. thing ho import".

J shall not attempt to argue whether a prohibitive duty should bo put on furniture.or whether it should be admitted frco ■ but how, in tho nnrno of justice, a Govern-me-nt can impose a duty of 15 per cent, ail valorem on trade requisites, and tbo samo amount on the finished article, is a mystery to me. In spite of tho above drawbacks, Auckland cabinetmakers aro not afraid of English furniture, if worthy of thanams, and if I awoke to-morrow morning, and found a line of ship? reaching from Queenstreet wharf to Tiri Tiri, loaded with goat} London furniture, it would nofc give me v,, moment's unoaaine??, as I am perfectly sure, not one article in a hundred would reach it& reserve price at auction.

In conclusion, let me say that, as NewZealand woods have caused such a furore. at the Colonial Exhibition, tho best thing; for cabinetmakers '.o do ia to leave tha Auckland public to the tender mercies of the itvportcr and auctioneer, and send good work tj England, where it wilj bo appreciated. Hoping to soz this subject touched upon by an abler pen than mine, I beg to subscribe myself, Another SVFFEREE.