RETURN OF THE CRAFTSMAN

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21511, 28 June 1935, Page 25

RETURN OF THE CRAFTSMAN

INCREASE IN SMALL

WORKSHOPS

ONE RESULT OP THE

DEPRESSION

It is apparent that there is new hope for the craftsman who allies industry with workmanship and who is content with a modest return for his labour. In any case, this was apparent to a representative of! "The Press" who made a tour yesterday of some of the city's shopping and manufacturing areas. Within the space of a single city block, for instance, there were discovired four small cne or twoman workshops, all established within the last two or three years, and 'one of them at the very depth of the depression. "I lost my job when things gul bad," explained the owner of this establishment. "Tho firm fcr which I worked sold a luxury line, and went out of existence. For a time things went rather badly with me. Then I began to experiment in making children's wooden toys, rocking-horses, swings, engines, and aeroplanes. Fortunately, I had served my apprenticeship at cabinet-making, although, when times were uood, I had never made use of mv trade. I took a small shop in a low-rent area and put the toys in the window. They were all painted in bright colours—my wife helped with that part of the work —and it was not lons.; before people came in to buy. Finding the workmanship and the prices right, they came again. At first I was rather afraid of the coniDctition of Japanese-made toys, but now I am convinced that the New Zealander has nothing to fear in that direction. I use 110 woods which are not grown in the Dominion; in fact, I am rather proud that the only imported thing which goes into my work is an occasional brass screw. In this I feel that I am helping other New Zealand workers along, if only in a small way. Of course, I am not making a fortune, but at least I am contrivir.tr to keep the wolf from the door!"

Hanrl-madc Furniture In a tiny workshop north of tho Square two young men were found busily putting tho iinishim? touches on a number of sturdy chairs which arc destined for the showroom or a bis? city firm. The young men are brothers, who, having learned their trade; with a big Christchurch furni-ture-making house, found themselves faced with unemployment because of the slump. Both were skilled craftsmen, both were keenly interested in their trade; and talking matters over, they decided that even although, at the time, people were buying as little as possible, somewhere there must be a market for the distinctive furniture they were capable of making. Renting a small workshop, with a tiny .'how ivindaw, they set about producing some specimens of their work. It was not long before their good craftsmanship was recognised by discriminating eyes. Orders began to come in. Now the brothers have as much work as they can get through and have been able to employ an assistant. They are looking forward to what appears to thern to be a bright future, but nevertheless they are feeling their way very cautiously, continuing to occupy the same small workshop in preference to more pretentious premises. As enthusiasts in the cause of New Zealand timbers, they showed the reporter a handsome tallboy made from Southland beech of the variety known as "fiddlebaek." The tallboy's graceful lines and exquisite workmanship were worthy of the specially selected wood that went to its making.

Value of Colour "My workshop? A result of the depression—and of sheer desperation on my part!" cheerfully declared an elderly man whose shop window displnyed an extraordinary variety of wooden articles, all painted and enamelled in brilliant primary colours. "My real trade was the building of garages—as a matter of fact, I have built more than 1000 of them. When the slump came, very few people wanted new garages, and I found myself with practically nothing to do. Then the craze for brightly-painted fences and doors came along, and it gave me an idea. Why shouldn't people have gay trellis-work and garden furniture to match? So 1 began making wheelbarrows and grass rakes and shrub rings, and painting them scarlet and green and yellow. They sold almost before the paint was dry. Now I am making all kinds of heavy wooden articles, log-boxes, bed-trays, boot-boxes, sewing workstands, and the like. I use no woods other than New Zealand timber. I opened thi3 workshop six weeks ago, and already I have taken on two extra hands. With my son and myself, that makes four of us, and we are all working as hard as we can. Christchurch people are enthusiastic gardeners, and ore ready to buy anything that gives an added touch of colour to their gardens. Therefore, I keep the window filled with gaily painted articles. That brings purchasers along in the first place; when they, realise that the goods are all faithfully made and are sold at reasonable prices, they come again." This man concluded by saying that for him at least the depression was over! Factory or Workshop? Many other small workshops were visited, premises on which upholsterers, makers of leather goods, basket-makers, seagrass chair workers, and bootmakers were plying their trades. In nearly all cases the tale was the same. The owners were craftsmen v/ho had lost their former employment and whom necessity had compelled to go into business for themselves. Not one of them regretted having exchanged the factory for the small workshop. They had found, so they declared, that, as workers, individual production was infinitely more attractive to them than the part which they had formerly played in mass manufacture. "For four years I did one kind of work, and one only," said an upholsterer. "My particular job was the upholstering of a certain kind of three-piece suite, of set size and set pattern. Since I have been in my own workshop I have had a great deal of variety in my work, and considerable scope far using, what ingenuity I possess. Even though, as yet, I am not making quite so much a week as I did at my old job, I am more pleased with life, and certainly I am more interested in my work. I have learned something, too—and that is, that dozens of tradesmen might establish themselves in Christchurch on similarly modest lines and discover that there is room for them all, provided, of course, that they know their trades, and are able to put into their wares i craftsmanship of the first order." j