DRAPERS' FEDERATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 66, 19 March 1925, Page 12

DRAPERS' FEDERATION.

DOMINION CONFERENCE. THE LATE NIGHT.' AGE BEFORE EXPERIENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) PALMERSTON NORTH, Wednesday. The sixth annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Drapers and Clothiers was commenced, at Palmerston North to-day. Mr. F. Gl Page, of Wellington, president of the federation, occupying the chair. Prior to the business the delegates were accorded a civic reception. The conference will continue until Friday, and at its conclusion a motor tour of the district will' be undertaken. In the annual report regret was expressed at the withdrawal of one or two districts from the federation, but with continued steady progress the power and prestige of the federation had materially increased. The new shop assistants' award had been the cause of much friction and dissatisfaction. Tho Court seemed to have seized upon all the concessions granted by large employers in the trade and imposed them indiscriminately upon all the traders. The features of the award that evoked the strongest resentment from members working under it had been the limitation of hours on the late night and the substitution of age for experience in assessing the rate of wages to be paid to juniors. The compulsory closing of shops at 8.30 p.m. on the late shopping night conferred a negligible benefit on assistants, seriously inconvenienced the shopping public, and inflicted a grave, and unescapable hardship on hundreds of traders whose business was almost dependent on their takings on the late night. The position remained highly unsatisfactory. During the year the boot and shoe retailers had linked up. The main object desired in the scheme of co-operation with the Employers' Federation was the ultimate binding together of all classes of employers, and it was felt that many advantages would accrue to the federation from the scheme of co-operation with tho employers' associations in the .various parts of the Dominion. Throughout the year considerable work had been done" in co-operation with the head office of the Customs Department in settling disputes which occurred over local decisions on the Customs tariff. The perennial grievance of retail trading by wholesale firms had been before the 'Advisory Board on several occasions, and the Wholesale Warehousemen's Association had expressed its entire sympathy with the effort the federation 'was making to curb the evil. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: President, Mr. Percival White (New Plymouth); vicepresident. Mr. Percy Halstead (Dunedin) ; chairman of the Advisory Board, Mr. W. Simm (Wellington): auditor, Mr. W. E. Nicholls (Palmerston North).