THE BAKERS' GRIEVANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 290, 6 December 1889, Page 4

THE BAKERS' GRIEVANCE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Under the above heading two writers ("Short Hours" and " Reform ") suggest moans by which the Auckland journeymen bakers can emancipate themselves from their state of degraded slavery. " Short Hours " says, " They must combine and establish unions throughout the colony for their mutual protection ;" and " Reform " Bays, " To adjust tho hours- of labour, organisation is required, but this is scaicely possible on the part of the journeymen without help from others, as their engagements leave them neither time nor opportunity for it." I wish to point out that ib is precisely to meet such cases as this that the Knights of Labour organisation was formed. There tho journeymen bakers have an organisation with oil tho necessary machinery ready to their hands. By joining this body they would get plenty of assistance to carry out the much-needed reforms in the bakery business, ab very little expenseto themselves. The contribution is only sixpence per month, not a large amount, especially when looked upon as the price of redemption from slavery. It is the delay, difficulty and expense attending the formation of a union such as the journeymen bakers require, putting altogether on oneside the important fact that to form a society under their circumstances, requires tbe active and personal supervision of two or more earnest, unselfish.energetic men, to keep tbe matter alive and start it going, that hinders tho formation of such societies.

All this could be obviated by tbe journeymen bakers joining the Knights of Labour. That organisation has its arms wide open to receive them and all others similarly situated. Ib will give bhem a hearty welcome and afc once take steps to geb fcheir grievances redressed.-—I am, etc., EL W .Farnall, Secretary Knights of Labour.

(To the Editor.)

! Sir, —I accept your invitation to ventilate the subjecb of the bakers' grievance. As a practical baker I claim to know something of the subject, having worked both as a journeyman and a master baker both here and at Home, but I am getting heartily sick of tho business. My hours at E' resent (as a journeyman) are ninety ours per week. Other shops have aboub the same hours. I leave it to anyone to say what time a man can have with his family after fifteen hours per day. It is nothing but eat, sleep and work. Then for a change work, sleep and eat no time for recreation of any kind. As a remedy I would suggest something more of the Home style ; that is, each man to his own branch of the trade—a baker for bread, a pastry baker for pastry, a biscuit baker for biscuits ; and not, as in Auckland, one man to do all three branches. Many shops keep only one or two men who have to doall the work of,theehop. Until fche journeymen unite and form a branch of the union I can see no chance of cur getting any better treatment, for unity is strength, and without thab strength it is no use our expecting any better treatment. I hope other journeymen will take up the subject and continue the agitation until we can geb some alteration in our lives of slavery.—l am, etc., Journeyman Baker.

(To the Editor.)

Sm,-— lf the facts are as you stated in your issue of Wednesday, in reference to the baking'trade, surely something ought to be done to enforce cleanliness in fche manufacture of bread. Bakeries should be regularly inspected and offenders punished. Re low wages and long hours, ifc would be difficult to reverse thia. I feel sure that the masfcer bakers would do ib if ib were possible. Ib is obvious that the master cannot coin money: he can only pay wages in proportion as he is paid for bread. If the public, those who enjoy tho boon of eight hours per day, would only support those masters who observe the strictest cleanliness and are willing to do justice to the men, instead of being so unreasonable in demanding bread ab a prioe which barely exceeds bhe cost of flour, the difficulty would be removed. It would be useless for the men to combine unless supported by the public. Higher wages and more hands employed means a higher price for bread, and would thug play directly into the hands of the undersell.., who, as a rule, is not particular whether he employ* *M>mpetentmenc7isfft>and the fair-

dealing man loses his brads, The public can, I think, rest assured thab the majority of bakeries ore kepb perfocbly cloan ; doubtless bhere are a few bakers who defy all-a tho laws of cleanliness, morality, and humanity.—Yours, etc., Justice. [We are confident bhab tho men would have bho publio wibh them if bhey were to combine for bhe purpose of demanding reasonable hours or labour. We fully ooncur in bhe necessity for efficionb inspection of meat, bread and milk, aad every honest trader who ia doing justice to the publio would gladly weloome ib as a means of putting an end to malpractices by competitors in the same line of business.—En. E.S.]