UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE BOOT TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 105, 6 May 1929, Page 6

UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE BOOT TRADE.

Your correspondent J. Pritchard in Friday's issue complains that "we never hear a word of the unemployment of tlie bootmaker," and then states that "he has no chance of getting work in the factories, being told there is nothing doing, and there never will be until the union alters its rules." As secretary of the union, may I say that this is the first occasion since 1912 that the name of J. Pritchard has come under my notice, nor is he a member of the union, and his statement reveals the fact that he has no knowledge of the union or its affairs? No application has been made by J. Pritchard for an under-rate worker's permit, aud, as he is in receipt of the old age pension, it may interest him to know that he has been in receipt of a higher rate than many members of this union. The solution of unemployment is not to be found in the subscription process (although a great deal has been done by means of benevolent assistance to those in distress), but the remedy lies rather in the direction of the adoption of the slogan "New Zealand-made goods for New Zealand workers," and just 'so soon as the wageearners of this country resolve to purchase the New Zealand-made article with the wage received for work performed, in New Zealand, will our people learn and know that the circulation of wages so expended tends to relieve the prevailing unemployment. For the information of J. Pritchard may I say that a quarterly return of unemployed members of thisi union is forwarded to 'the Government Statistician and is duly recorded by him in the official statistics of New Zealand, and had he been a member of the union he would have been aware of this fact. C. A. WATTS, Sec., Auckland Branch, New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Union,