BACK TO THE CITIES

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22717, 23 May 1939, Page 6

BACK TO THE CITIES

MEN SEEK WORK IN

FACTORIES

RUSH OF APPLICATIONS

REPORTED

RETURN FROM PUBLIC

WORKS

Since the publication in “The Press” 10 days ago of an interview on factory work with Mr J. A. East, managing director of Suckling Bros., Ltd., Mr East has received 200 inquiries and applications for shoe factory employment. These have come from far distant and scattered centres, many of them in the North Island. He said that as a member of the reorganisation committee for the industry in New Zealand, he had now received letters of application from all over New Zealand. Men were obviously wanting to get back into the cities.

“It’s made my life a misery for the time being,” hq said. These men coming from the public works wore definitely excellent men, and every effort was being made to make use of their services, fifty more men had been engaged since Christmas but it was not possible to cope with 200 yet. A ainst this rush of applications from men there was still an acute shortage of female labour. There were certain, operations, such as stitching of the uppers, which were regarded as women’s work, and were of vital importance as a unit in the factory routine.

Attempts were being made, therefore, to train men in this work. In America men did it, taut here it was hard to persuade men that it was not necessarily women's work. Experiments were proposed in the employment of men in this branch of the factory. If this practice became common it would be possible to absorb into industry still more of the men who were keen to yet back to the cities. As the situation was at the moment, Mr East said, every one of the few gilds offering quickly found work. Immediaiely after his last comment in ‘'The Press” three girls applied for and wore given employment.