“SWEATED GOODS"

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 133, 1 March 1929, Page 12

“SWEATED GOODS"

CLOTHING TRADERS SUFFER UNEMPLOYMENT AT HOME A CAUSE Allegations that owing to the unem-ployment-prevailing at Home the Dominion was being flooded with “sweated” goods were made by a deputation from the New Zealand Wholesale- Clothing Manufacturers’ Industrial Association of Employers which waited upon; the Manufacturers’ Federation Conference yesterday. It was stated that the importation of sweated clothing was already being reflected in the New Zealand labour marke t' Mr. C. A. Myhre (president of the Christchurch Clothing Manufacturers’ Union) said that in his opinion wholesale clothing manufacture in New Zealand had now reached a standard that they might all be proud of; and, given ordinary competition, they had nothing to fear. He stressed two points—(l) the duty on materials was 20 per cent, and that on garments 25 per eent. ad valorem, a difference of only 5 per cent, in favour of the manufacturers. Freights brought their total protection up to 7i per cent. only. ‘ That was the extent to which the manufacturers were protected. Secondly, they had always at the back of their minds the fear of a recurrence of the “sweated” conditions that obtained in the Old Country in the 'nineties of the ; last century. It had surprised him, and it might surprise the conference, to - know that to-day, owing to the unemployment prevailing at Home for so many years, similar sweating conditions had sprung up, and the Dominion was being flooded with sweated goods. , , I. They were often told that they should have better plant and machinery, but he knew of no plant or machinery superior to that used in the New Zealand clothing -trade, and he did not think that any clothing was better made than that manufactured in New Zealand. In regard to ladies’ clothing, again they were suffering from unfair competition, owing to the fact that the seasons at Home were in advance of the New Zealand seasons, and the Home manufacturers were thus able to dump their remainder stocks in the Dominion. If something in the nature of a safeguarding tariff wfis not imposed, scented conditions must result in New Zealand, and a safeguarding tariff, to be any good, would have to be in the nature of a lumn sum per garment, plus an ordinary ad ' valorem duty. A small percentage added to the existing duties would be of no use. Mr. D. Markham (Wellington) said that the importation of sweated clothing was already being reflected in the New Zealand labour market, and if it went on manufacturers would be forced to import such clothing in self-defence, for the simple reason that the cost-of the imported articles, despite the duty, was lower than New Zealand manufacturers could produce the goods at. He could give cases in which the whole invoice cost of an imported garment was approximately equivalent to the New Zealand cost of labour alone, without allowing anything for the cost of material and trimmings. Mr. Cathie (Wellington) said that if the request of the clothing trade was granted, it could employ at least a thousand more girls per annum than at present, thus helping to solve the vexed problem: “What are we to do with our boys and girls?” _ Replying to the prendent of the conference (Sir. F. Campbell), he said that the Clothing Manufacturers’ Association 'was not getting up a deputation to the Prime Minister, but it wished to eo-oper-ate with the deputatioi proposed by the federation. The clothing trade employees were arranging for a deputation early in March. Nothing had bsen done m Australia in regard to tie importation of sweated goods, because Australia had a hi"h tariff. If New Zellaiubhad such a tariff, the clothing maiufacturers would not be troubling the enferenee. It was resolved unanimously, on the motion of the presidait: “That it be an instruction to the federation officers to assist.the clothing manufacturersMn presenting- their case t» the Prime Minister.”