UPHOLSTERY TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 208, 3 September 1929, Page 9

UPHOLSTERY TRADE.

APPLICATION BY EMPLOYERS,

MORE APPRENTICES WANTED,

SHORTAGE OF SKILLED MEN.

An amendment to an apprenticeship order was sought in the Arbitration Court to-day by the Furniture and Furnishing Union of Employers, on the ground that the proportion of apprentices to journeymen in the upholstery branch of the trade should be one apprentice to each two or fraction of two journeymen instead oi one to each three or fraction of three as at present.

Mr. S. E. Wright said that the employers thought the amendment would allow more to enter the trade in which machinery had not displaced handwork. Asserting that there had been a shortage of skilled upholsterers during the last three years, Samuel Menzies added that at one period he had been compelled? to engage about twenty unskilled hands and pay them skilled men's wages. Supporting evidence was given by James W. Tattersfiekl, who said proof of the shortage was the fact that the union had been unable to supply men when wanted. Confirmatory evidence was given By Frank Furnell.

Opposing the application, on behalf of the trades union, Mr. A. H. Dixon said that during his 25 years of experience as a journeyman of the trade in Auckland, he hacl not known any shortage of upholsterers. There were, of course, fluctuations, as when an unusually big job, like the Civic Theatre, came on the market. It was felt that the employers wanted to have plenty of men about the union office waiting for engagement. That was the position they seemed to desire in the city. It was reported when the court last sat in Auckland that tnere were 85 journeymen upholsterers and 42 apprentices. Application Dismissed. After dealing with another case, the Court retired to give consideration to the plea made by the furniture trade employers. On resuming Mr. Justice Blaii said that the matter of proportion of apprentices to journeymen had been a topic of consideration in several cases recently. "Now that we have the figures submitted by the Labour Department showing that the proportion of apprentices to journeymen" in - the upholstery trade is now approximately 50 per cent," said his Honor, "the Court thinks that the application made by the employers in this instance has not been sustained and the application is therefore dismissed.' 1