“Rise In Quality Of Furniture”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32019, 20 June 1969, Page 19

“Rise In Quality Of Furniture”

For the first time In recent years, the national furniture trades apprenticeship committee sat in Christchurch on Wednesday instead of in Wellington. The chairman was the Commissioner of Apprenticeship (Mr R. C. Thornton). Mr Thornton said the committee had felt that the craft skills might have survived better in Canterbury than in the north, but that the district might have been lagging on the technological side, and a major reason for holding the sitting in Christchurch was to investigate this possi bility. However, he said, the committee had found that Christchurch employers generally were using the same production methods as in the North Island. The committee had also inspected courses available at the Christchurch Technical Institute and had been impressed by the facilities and the standard of instruction available. This was most important, Mr Thornton said, because of the increasing em-

phasis on technology rather than on craft skill. There were 192 furniture trades apprentices in the Canterbury district last March, compared with 152 in March, 1966. The committee comprises four union representatives and four employers’ representatives —all appointed for three-year terms and some having served for a number of terms—the chairman, and an education expert. One of the members, the national president of the furniture trades employers (Mr E. A. Miller) said that today’s newly-qualified tradesman would not be the equal of his counterpart of 20 years ago as a craftsman, but as a technician “would be so far ahead it doesn’t matter.” As a result, said Mr Miller, better-quality work was being produced, and the methods were so much cheaper that the worker was able to buy furniture of a standard his employer could not have afforded 20 years ago. Mr Thornton had praised the co-operation on the ap-

prenticeship committee between workers’ and employers’ representatives, and Mr Miller endorsed this. In addition, he said, the excellent relationship obtained on the committee had extended into industrial relationships. Since he had started as an apprentice himself 39 years ago, he could not recall a single strike or stoppage of work in the furniture trades. Today, said Mr Miller, union representatives could come to his office, complaints against workers and against employers could be discussed reasonably, and agreement could be reached without any stoppage or outside help.