THE CLOTHING TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 186, 7 August 1900, Page 8

THE CLOTHING TRADE.

f Mr J. M. Morran, one of the gentleman who gave evidence in Wellington before the Labour Bills Committee on [behalf of the Auckland Clothing Manaiacturers' Association, in the course of in. interview with a representative pijMk.AyxokUfid, ■, "^tar>" furnished some particulars tfbotif the position erf affairs. "First 0f,a11," .sa.jd.-jMr MorranY / «'I think Auckland should have had more than one representative on the Labour Bill's Committee. There were 'iten members when I was before the committee! and the only representa- . itive we had from this end was Mr Bollard." "Shortly, can you state your reasons why manufacturers in Auckland should not be placed on the same foot- " ing as those in the clothing trade in the South?" / "My contention is that the conditions of the trade in Auckland Jire altogether different to those in the South, and that therefore the same rules do not apply. For instance, we liave to cater for the Maoris and gum- . diggers. But there is another matter I c6nsider of greater/importance. It is that we in Auckland do not wish (to manufacture,clothing on the antlnuated system like toat adopted in the South. Certain charges were made against the Auckiarid clothing manufacturers, and my mission to Wellington was to improve. I claim ■that we could make a garment in Auckland much quicker than if made under the Southern method, and that we would dio it with, less work owing to our superior system. Because the Southern people have antiquated methods/ of doing- their work, it is no reason/why we in Auckland should be compelled to adopt their

methods." 7 The question; of course, is whether your employees can under the Auckland system1 of manufacture , earn /equal "wages to Southern operatives pander methods they adopt. I claim that the girls in the North Cftn earti aS ijnuch as those in the jßqilth, but by a different method. I •also claim tnfl-fc i^enerally satisfaction prevails between employer and employee in Auckland in our trade. My own hands co'tild not make anything like the same/money as they do now, as they would have to be re-taught, df we were Tvorking under the antiquated southern method. About half the clothing sold «in Queen-street now comes from Christchurch and Dunedin. IWe in Auckland only ask to be allowed to manufacture the clothing required for our special trade in our own k way. ; Is it'true- that under the system in vogue in Auckland girls are inadequately paid? We are prepared to pay the same wages per week as the southern firms. According io the evidence given in Dunedin there are cases where girls after working in the South for several years get at the rate of 3s 6d per week. I am happy to say this has never happened in my factory, but can give instances of girls who have become in a few months enabled to earn a living. It might be possible under ,the Southern system to produce the

jkame garments at less cost than we do In the North. Under one scale they might be kept at low wages for two years, when possibly after a few weeks some of the forward ones could make a coat. ' ,

.The result of such a method would be that the goods', could be turned out for next to nothing. I heartily condemn an« 3 have never practised such a method. It is said that in Auckland the work is inferior both in trimming and workmanship to that of the South, but we cater for a different trade. What I object to is being asked to adopt the Southern method of manufacture, which was really obsolete 20 years ago. We do not contend .that pjk WXk *s better, than .the

Southern, but that it suits our trade, and is made on such a system that our employers can earn fair wages'. Under those circumstances I think it would be unjust to compel us to pay the same prices per garment as are paid in the South for another style of work. We put more machine work into our clothing. I believe that last year our wages were higher than those paid in Dunedin. Some girls in my place can earn as much as 30/ per Aveek. I am quite willing to carry on my business in such a way that my employees shall have the same rate of pay proportionally as in other portions of the colony, so long as the Court does not interfere with our log and our method of manufacturing.