THE BOOTMAKERS' STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 91, 21 April 1891, Page 8

THE BOOTMAKERS' STRIKE.

; -' (To the Editor.) -■" " jßißj— jßeMr Hodgson's letter of the,lßth inst., unlike Mr Hodgson, we do hot usually parade our grievances in the public press, but we cannot allow such inaccurate remarks to. go before the public unchallenged. To begin with, we should like the 'public to know how many were involved in the present strike, viz.,'2os men ; out Of this number 40 have since found employ, menfc ,in., the. ..various factories where Hid statement has been accepted, the majority ©_««whibte'-nobfcß.nod : erpploymejit.,, ~f rqia honourable employers in Auckland, for we must not 'overlook the fact'thac there' are yet some honourable boob manufacturers in Auckland.' Mr Hodgson contends that if the Auckland employers paid their men the same wages as the (much-abused) Southern employers have paid for many years the work would go South. Would Mr Hodgson explain how it ia the Auckland manufacturers have been able to supply the Southern towns with their goods ? Apparently tbeir object is still to undersell the Souijfiei'n employers at the expense of the workmen, as by their system of pompetition. it must, as a matter of course, come out of those whose labour provided the /means of keeping up high salaries in con nection with the management of several of the factories in this commercial city of flutters and failures. In reference to the position o£ the operatives, Mr Hodgson can safoly 'leave them to steer an honourable course for themselves as they have always dpne .q., the. past and turn his'attention to the Manufacturers' Unionr for it-is widely rumoured that some of these gentlemen .are already regretting the position they have taken up, and would 'like t<J'* extricate themselves from ...the trap. We should wish to - draw Mr Hodgson find his confreres'*'special*"attention to the fact thai this trap was-laid neither by'the operatives or by the jn)embers..sitting.,.at tbe Con. .rehce lately held in Wellington, where tho so-called' Southern bill of fare was prepared, of which h.e complains bq much without any sound reason, as it is ■well known that the Manufacturers' Union were invited go assist, and might if they had had the moral courage' to have regained, have drafted one to the entire satis-facfc-Oh of their colleagues. But when it was found the amalgamated . Manufacturers tsof Auckland were afraid to meet; the operaives in drafting the above-mentioned bill of we, ib was then unanimously agreed that

Mr Cole (an independent manufacturer) should take a seat ab the conference, with the full voting power of those who retired, which he did and agreed to abide by the decision arrived ab. Since Mr Cole's return from Wellington he has challenged, through the public press, Air Hodgson or any manufacturer to discuss the whole matter on a public platform, and let the public be tho judges of who is right or wrong. Seeing t'aat the above challenge has not been accepted, we conclude that tho manufac- [ turers' side of the question will not stand ventilation and criticism.

Now, sir, in reference to the imported I article, Mr Hodgson asserts that the rise as per statement would admit Engl sh and Australian goods. Now, we wish to know woiUd ib not aflect the Southern market in the same manner as Auckland, the Customs duties being universal ? Does Mr Hodgson think the employers and operatives who sat at the lato Conference overlooked the possibility of their markets being flooded with imported goods? No, sir, for this was one of the most important matters which was brought forward and kept steadily in view throughout the whole proceedings.

As regards his remarks as to pegged work being aii Auckland speciality, and tbe prices being forced up to crush out this particular lino, we can safely say that each town in the South produces as much pegged wc.rk in the linos lie mentions—that is in comparison with the number of men employed.

Now, if Mr Hodgson and his colleagues havo the knowledge of tho trade, that thoy assume, they-musb bo fully aware that tho Southern climate is inoro suitublo for the wear of pogged boots than the dry or climato of Auckland, for anyone with the least knowledge of tho brado should know that the damper the climate tho lighter the peg holds. Then, as regards the price of pegging, fourpence ia charged pev pair on the new statement for men's best; lines, and on some lives of men's work ib is only two pence, whereas five pence and sixpence bus been the price usually paid by tho employers in the South, which was reduced in anticipation of any objection which might be raised by the Auckland manufacturers. We should very much like to know if these gentlemen could inform us as to the prico paid to employers for peggine in England. In case they are unable to do so we can supply them with the necessary information, derived from the latest statement of prices sent out from England. If, as Mr Hodgson states, the rise in price according to the new statement is 37 per cent, on the old one, we consider it a crying shame that the employee's in Auckland have been receiving for so many years past 37 per cent, less wages than their brethren in the South, who by no means have ever been over-paid. The large factory in Christchurch, referred to by Mr Hodgson and worked by free skilled labour, which in reality is a very small one, employing not more than a dozen men at the outsido and paying the Society rate of wages. This factory, some four years ago, was giving omployment to a much larger number of men, but owing to a dispute with the Operatives' Union they have since experienced great difficulty ir. keeping tho small number they now employ. Mr Hodgson seems greatly piqued by the fact that somo of the best workmen have gone South, and wishes the public to believe that it is only for a change of air. but as he claims thab Auckland has a much superior climate than any Southern town, j we advise him, if at any time he is desirous- ; of a change of air, nob to ventnre farther than North Shore, where, together with hie colleagues, seated on the rocks, which are undoubtedly rocks of ages ago, they mighb be able to draw gut a statement for all! parties concerned In the present dispute.—' We remain, etc., Strike Committek.