EMPLOYERS FORCING TROUBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 261, 4 November 1890, Page 2

EMPLOYERS FORCING TROUBLE.

(To the Editor.)

SIR, —Will you kindly grant me sufficient space for a few remarks upon the above subjecb. In your issue of last evening Wβ have an explanation from the secretary of the Bootmakers' Union, showing tho average wages earned by that craf b, in the taoe of which—current report says—some of the boob manufacturers are demanding the men to put in their new statement on threat of locking them out, unless said statement is forthcoming very shortly ; while others have openly admitted that they will lock out when the statement is forthcoming. Surely, this savours of the man flogging the boy on the theory that if he does not now deserve it he soon will deserve it, and therefore they will make sure. Surely, ib would be gentlemanly, wise, and business-like to see the statement before deciding to vepudiato ib, and take hasty action that tnusb endinbroubleto the employeeandseriousand unavoidable loss to the employer, with the lamentable prospecb of playing into the hands of the Southern provinces, and sending our work—and the best of our workmen —into other' channels. After careful inquiries as to the wages earned by boobmakers, we find the brade is divided into four branches or departments, viz., clickers, pressmen, benchmen, and finishors ; the two first are paid by the week, two latter by piecework. Benchuien ate the worstpaid branches of the trade, while some are paid very well. The moab are cerbainly paid a little over, starvation prices. We have taken the average wages earned by twenty-one benchmen in one of the best-paid factories ia Auckland for the past twelve weeks. Two have earned £2 per week, four- less than £1 per week, bub averaging the bwenty-one wo find they do not reach 30s per week, and this, with a bright prospecb of being ehorbly locked oubj does not look like being all skittles and beer for the poor benchmen, but rather approaches the meanest man on record, who gives his children a penny each bo go to bed without their supper and when he gets them to sleep goes round to kiae and rob them of their pennies, and is in keeping with some tailoring establishments, who rob their poor tailoresses of 25 per cent, of their earnings by pretending to pay the required log, entering the correct amount on their pay sheet and compelling their poor, deluded, and wronged employeee to sign the pay 'sheet, professing to give them 25 per cent, more than bhey actually receive, under intimidation and threat of instant dismissal if they dare to divulge their employer's manly conduct. Such men would rob their Saviour of his shoe strings ; and from yesterday's issue of the «• Herald " we learn that the philanthropic master tailors propose still further trouble. Ibbehovee the next session, of Parliament to legalise the fig leaf and sandals. Oh, why did old Mother Eve cab that apple? May God forgive her, while the tailoresses, bootmakers, and tailors coneole each, other, and divert attention from, myeelf; till I eharpen my Tomahawk. October 50th, 1890.