MASTER TAILORS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 1 September 1936, Page 8

MASTER TAILORS.

EXTENDED HOURS SOUGHT.

The hearing of an application by the master tailors for an extension of hours under the Factories Act was begun in the Arbitration Court this morning. Mr. T. 0. Bishop appeared for the employers and Mr. J. Roberts, of ' Christchurch, with him Mr. E. B. Newton,and Mr. W. S. Moxsom, for the workers. Mr. Bishop said the grounds for the application were: The bespoke tailor business was absolutely and completely a retail business, and customers of master tailors required intimate and personal service which must be given by experts in the tailor's shop. Li some instances the proprietor was the expert and did his own cutting and fitting, but in others he was not, and it was essential that an expert should be in attendance.

Many large departmental stores ran shop tailoring businesses, Mr. Bishop continued, and were permitted to keep their shop assistants employed for 44 hours weekly. This would lead to very unfair competition if the master tailors were not allowed to employ? their assistants under similar conditions. Tailoring was peculiarly a week-end business, and fully 50 per cent of deliveries were made on Friday night or Saturday morning. Staffs were required when deliveries were made in order to effect final alterations. Mr. Bishop then called witnesses in support of his contentions. (Proceeding.)