CORRESPONDENCE. WORKERS FOR WOOLLEN MILLS TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 62, 11 September 1911, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE. WORKERS FOR WOOLLEN MILLS TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— l see, according to your report, that Mr. Barber, chairman of the Wellington Woollen Company, at the annual meeting of shareholders, was complaining of the shoitsge of .hands at the mills, especially in the case of young people. Now. sir, I would like to ask Mr. Barber what inducement is there for a boy to work at the mill. The mill has been working for twenty-five years and hundreds of boys have worked there ; but can Mr. Barber point out one of the leading hands in the mill to-day who has worked there as a boy ? No, sir. he cannot. As soon as a vacancy for a leading position occurs, a man is imported from Home. No chance for local talent at the Petone woollen mills. A man who has any regard for his boys will not send them to work there, to be cast out when they are young men, too old to learn a trade. If Mr. Barber wants young people to work at the mills, the company must do justice to them, and when there is a vacancy give it to the boy who has worked there from the start. I can give instances where men have worked there for years for £2 2s pel? week, and have had a family to bring ttfj on that, but they took care tliey did- _ not send their boys to work at the mills. Mr Barber, can you tell me why?— l am, etc., ONE WHO KNOWS. Petofie, 7th September, 1911.