CORRESPONDENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 50, 28 August 1911, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

■ ■■ » WAREHOUSE ASSISTANTS' J UNION. i

to xffli s&rroft. Sif»~ l do not often trouble you -with my vwwsr on any matter before the public, but I cannot refrain from commenting on the statements reported in last night's Post from Mr. B. L. Salmon. Mr. Salmon's whole point seems to b« that a soft goods warehouseman must have special training 1 , tact, a pleasing personality, and such-like attributes of a good salesman. This can bo readily granted. But surely Mr, Salmon oan see that . the years spent in acquiring these qualities should carry, at any rate, a wage sufficient to enable a man to marry and live in decent comfort. Are snch wages paid? I append hereundet some oaßes in my own knowledge in one firm of soft gooda warehousemen. (1) A youth, smart, and capable, enter* ed this warehouse. Served twelve or thirteen years. In duo course he rose to first assistant in a big department. Salary £100 per annum. He went travelling with twenty to thirty big hampers, packed and unpacked them,' sold to ladres who did net want to buy (vide Mr. Salmon); salary £100 a year. Ho left. He was single. , (2) In his place was taken.on a married man in the prime of life, with long expenenpe, He packed ftnd unpacked, "sold to ladies," etc. Salary £100 a year. He stayed. _ He, was married. He is pfob «, y «?, lffalng . petitions against a union. (3) The writer had a friend who was With him at school and college. We both j started work together. I in a mild way j prosper cd. My friend entered a soft i goods warehouse Ten years later a vacancy occurred in the office where- 1 was engaged. My friend heard of it, and begged mo to give him the billet,, The salary was 35s a week. Think of it I Ten years' continuous service in ons firm by a young man of average ability, and pro- I bably more than Averago education, and desperately anxious to make a fre,«h start I at 66s a week. ' >^ 4rt youl ?2 man en K&gGd to be married. Travelled for the samo firm as, the above instances are quoted f roni Con* , gratulated on his returns, wliich easily ' beat his predecessor's. Salary £90 a year, Fancy "sellihg to ladies," etc., on £90 a year. (5) A friend of mine went into the same warehouse a few days ago. ' He was waited on by a smart youth, well dressed, well spoken. Just the port of salesman to "sell to ladies," etc. Knew his prices, could talk his lines. Had the key to the showcases in which jewellery, etc},, was locked up. Had the run .of (metaphorically) un- ! told wealth, Salary £40 a year. These are dulled from my own experi- j ence. In cases 1 and 3 both mon were anxious to get married. They had their young ladies waiting. They waited— and waited. They would probably be waiting still, but they married other men—probably \inionists. t In case No. 1 there were at least four in the department under hiy example. Possibly Mr. Salmon can work out what these unfortunates were getting, and quota them as example,? as to the absurdity of a union. If any further examples are required several cases that have been befofe tho courts can be cited. One, a cashier, in a local warehouse, was getting 25s c, week. Another, second packer in a large establishment, 30s a week. As regards the so-called protests from employees, they ar« not worth considering. Oae great protest was signed on behalf of the staff by the head of one of the large departments. The four delegates appointed to represent the dry goods merchants are all men well up in the service. ! If betting were allowed, I would wager I all I have that not one of the four ia getting a penny less than between £300 j and £400 a year. _ Naturally they don't ! want a union. Neither, speaking only on I ffiy own behalf, do I. But there are nun. ! dreds who do, and it seems the height of , selfishness for such men to take part and lead discussions against an idea that would at least provide a living wage to the ordinary rank, and file. The men at the top haVe probably got there through special ability, ahd possibly special oppof« tunity. ( But that should not prevent them from giving a helping hand to those of average ability and opportunity, aad I am ( absolutely convinced that protection is necessary to the oi"din« ary warehouse hand, be he in warehouse, i office, or store. I do not like anonymous letters, but for obvious reasons I feel compelled to only subscribe myself as „.. . , , SUPPORTER. 25th August, 1911. TO THB EDttOB, Sir,—^o. this discussion of matters concerning the soft goods warehouses and the Amalgamated Union of Merchants' Assistants. As a junior in a local Ware* house and second in the boot importing department, I am fully justified in showing through your columns the absurdity of amalgamating the wholesale soft goods houses with so many other business houses as was done somfe five months aa-o and registered. The first thing that hurts J*» lfi toes© proposed alterations is tho fact that three seniors are necessary for one junior. Tina in itsolf would mean the dismissal of two boys and one youlh of 19£ years, while I myself with only a very few months to elapse to become of age would have to be displaced for two strangers who would have to be over tWenty-ono years of age, and would bo placed over me in the department. This position could be understood by the dull' est office boy of our establishment. The Jfecond thing which we object to is having to work forty-four hours a week when we now do thirty-eight hours a week, mis would mean that instead of coming 10 . work at 9 a.fci., working till 5 p.m* T^u 1 P^-tiU 2 p.m, for lunch" -we should work from 8 a.m.till 5 p.m., and 12 noon till 1 p.m. lunch. With reference td the above there is a little doubt, some asserting that the hours are 8 a.m. till -, P.tn. Whichever it is, both plans are objectionable, and if we did get an inorease wo should: ha earning 1 it by working an extra eight and a-half hours per week. ' ' Thirdly, we should not be paid for sick leave, fortnight's holiday, br any time Jttaw migl^ tw&ftfc t0 ««* off during t*t ?i • ff ivate business reasonß. In toffu" v . P fmle K?s which wg now enjoy »lJ Pit^t t ¥. sftme footing with factories ?W TiT'l KtooMW- , I might mention SSL ? c*]e *]P lo * ees f>t ° ar fin* stroagly object to the Amalgamated Merchants' mSff?^! BI S a ' *YdV d doin B so held, a ff^J^ Safc « r <la? morning, when &Ji eCtod . L m ? to them at Sf i^. mghts ffieG **ng of wholesale I «L??V •^ c P r ,1 3eh ¥ lv . <58 "border that Jh£ f T lth f , ull au *h° f ity from them be fen£ troag fe protest *S ainst th ' 9 at- 1 ahn* D Ti!,? Ut L ibert y in the sh ape of th© j has tX« lu D 6d f Unio ?- <? ur objection IrtrinW c ' fo f ftl of , a »^ ned protest, «» *h J *K' all i* l^ ste™*!* wstb °«^ AflJJni 10 ?' - and fi . ot &ne *efusal. an atfa^i.^S* r de P art J?e»tal manager with an attached fofm signed and witnessed tures .were i genome, and meant to have amal^M^^ of > in^ the amaigam ated umon. Also, in renlv to a ty th^^ C ° lumnß \ st w^t tt ,m, m l a *B?r has no bonus to Tsts of t'/- nd - that - he studiM the inter< ests of hw juniors in every wftf, m any SS w r ho HornH om hitn " m sly. In ill i be ffiore than Satisfied, an^ As^^« 10^i/' hat the Warehftusemen's tSf^IS2S<A? lll t Sfant a e°nceßsione °nceBsion in tnat. rtireetion.—l am, etc., Wll . ». A. ffOLMBS. Wellington, g3rd August, 1911.