THE CLERK'S LOT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 662, 12 November 1909, Page 5

THE CLERK'S LOT.

POSITION IN; CHRISTCBI3RCH. ,-(;■> ■. NO' GENERAL , TntI6N;iHOTOMENT, :^y:;;;Ar : .. V (By Teiceraph,-flpMiftl»porreraondenO''.Yi : ■•■ ~. ; . '.•.-■'■ : , A large, number' of-.bank .and. mercanhl* '.■;,':•; cloi'ks, .who. vrero seen;yesterday by a rep6rter t ..'■■/;":' .disclaimed all' knowledge-of auy.general;mbve- .'.;'•! ment ia Christchurcli to form, a clerks' union! • :S and to have the .conditions-regulated :by,' an : .V;;i award of the Court.-.Many expressed surprise ; ,;!i at ;,the. announcement from Auckland that /the r ;*i Chi-istchurch clerks: have' decided' to' follow .'in- -'V'' the steps of < the Auckland clerks: in this > : ' : ''i non:'-. If anything has been .'done in .this city.'s ' obviously no attempt.,-has' been 'made-to: take ,f'S'! concerted action, end no deiinite scheme- has' : been forth. The mercimtile cleris of th* ;' t] city ol course'.have-, many grievances,: but they <ij a seem .tn; be disposed to fight-Out" the; dispute , .'V ! K& wit'i'individual employers, rather! than -range !f'-'i '.themselvos 'under Hhe.,■■ protection- of. tho'■ Abt, '■•'■' '■>;s. As. one of ; . them .said," they are. not as a- class ' ; e' ; 5 a ; uiiion-loviiig;body.; Tliey^recognise:that>it:'';w i' J* .« vv . d >flicult frame , ; regulation!'-iJ; which will satidy, both, them' and:tteirlem-'-' -'Pi plovers. Another fact'which keeps them apart-■ "'W lsvthat .there is;'a: wide diU'crence in'.tho con. 'V& ditioiis .imposed by different, employers; -• In v ' ■' " some- nrms in- Christchuroh .'the • clerks- aro 1 -' , treated' much- bettor' now than thoy.would.be ,' >:i > if. jeneral; rtoulatibns covormg' tho'-.whole , 'of '■• the mercantile clerical work '.were enforced 'by V" ■ '53 the.law.' Other firms;:whichseem to'be-weU ■'' - known, impose 'upon i the clerks much night • -^ '?$ jvork, and keep their : salarios' : down tb' : tile : ' ii: -'l Ipwost .possible : -figure!-■ Some' of-, : tho - clerks '■::#;■'* complain; that the , lady. clerkV. , who Ms-paid: ;-V>: poorly,, is a. a .feelniß that- ifwould .-bo a' good - thing'-to;-' ' chock; the number. of lady- clerks who' are now ', ; * -•' joining, forward. There is a general feeling 'Ml \that 'unless' iiiore. employers, join' those ,who- , are known to ..treat'-.their.dorks well,:it --:M be. omy a question of ; time "before'- a , , union' is : -i ;; v'-i 'lprmed ; ;in,order to'bring-all-employerb'.intt'V'.-i's solne.kind..of lino.-it is stated,'HowOvor. that tho: Christchurch 1$ mucli better, than those in Auckland. :• '■'•-'■,^ : f> As to tho;bank \clorks, several-who'-Tveri"<'4fi secu yesterdoy said;.they had •■ not:been proached in regard to the formation ol^ union..- They; did, not; thinks that -&4 ctokS b in,Chr.stehurch, W ished'to nayewS v 1 at : present - ; and 'it.,, was not' likely.' that ■ they > ■• i'' would jpin: A tho. had!•:S started m Auckland.- s -They all^agrood.that V ■' : there t was, not. j verv much , tho, : other- hand, they cwerV- grlnted''' con;ebsions; which" they .valued' ' :■« and whKih they feared'wonld^ei ' * case distinct regulations were. made'SndeV'av'- 1 award of. tho.Arbitration :Court;-Somo of^a I '' ■■'&> concessions affected them when, ttey Vere ii - i ; « disposeoV-or illi.-.They,' are" better Vo?™W - ■:? : tho; bank c erks in Auckland,:.and^thdv'no^---S^ ■ faon « much superior to that of the inerCntnn clerks, ..oven, ih Christchurch.', '''SSi; '<$ was made to form; a'■ clerks', union"inSs'"• ; ' '• «