CLOTHES AND WAR

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 42, 18 August 1915, Page 8

CLOTHES AND WAR

THE DRAPERY TRADE SOFT GOODS EMPLOYEES' DISPUTE PRESENT CONDITIONS. EVIDENCE IN" THE ARBITRATION COURT. Interesting evidence regarding the drapery trade was given to-day at the Arbitration Court during the hearing of the Wellington Soft Goods Employees' dispute. The Court comprised his Honour Mr. Justice Stringer and Messrs. J. A. M'Cullough (employees' representative) and E. Duthie (employers' representative). Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell appeared for the employers and Mr. M. J. Reardon for the employees. Reasons were submitted by Mr. Grenfell why increases in the award should not be made. He contended that no hardships were being endured by the workers in the trade and that their conditions were satisfactory. Further, Continental, British, Japanese, and other supplies were difficult to obtain. His Honour enquired what the claims before the Court were. Mr. Grenfell: "An ont-of-hand increase — extravagant, your Honour." He added that a conference had recently taken place before the Conciliation Council, but had proved abortive. Prior to that there had been a meeting between the parties and everything was agreed to except the preference clause. Jlr. Reardon said the union did not agree that there had been such an arrangement. The proposals discussed were tentative only, put forward with a view to settlement, but were, he understood, turned down by both parties. The employers would not agree to the preference clause, and the union, on the other hand, would not agree to the wages conditions. In his opinion, the union had offered very generous conditions in order to get a satisfactory preference clause. WORKERS AND WAGES. Mr. Grenfell, continuing, said there were 463 workers in the ten principal houses in Wellington. Of that number 156 were adult males and 169 adult females — a total of 325 adult employee©. Eighty per cent, of the males and 84 of the females were getting more than the minimum wage in each class. Of employees under 21 years of age, 68 per cent, of the males and 69 per cent, of the females v/ere getting more than the respective minimums. The employers had suffered considerably because of the war and the resulting dislocation of trade. Employers were doing their part in these trying times by keeping on their assistants and keeping open tho positions of those who had gone on active service. DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING GOODS. Tho first witness for the employers wa3 Charles Geleart Wilson, warehouse manager of Sargood, Son, and Ewen, who Sitatsd that the position in regard to the delivery of goods from the Old Country and the Continent was very acute- No on© could Bay whether the prices ho had bought at would be adhered to or when he would get delivery. Letters just received by the English mails stated that all dyers refused to guarantee colours or the dyes being fast, and would only accept dyeing orders under these conditions. Some of the manufacturers had orders sufficient to keep them going -until 1916. It was now more a matter of what buyers could get, not what they wanted. The demand all round far exceeded tho supply, and manufacturers could sell anything offering at once. A cable from Australia last week had stated that the manufacturers there had orders to carry them on till summer of next year. In the Dominion it was impossible to get some lines. SUPPLIES FROM JAPAN AND AMERICA. Replying to a question by Mr. Reardon as to supplies from Japan, witness stated that freights from Japan had gone up 25 per cent., and it was not possible to get some lines there. The latter remark also applied to America. Owing to the scarcity of dyes prices of such lines as denims and khaki had increased considerably in America. Witness did not know that cotton goods were being dyed. He would not say that the wholesale warehouses had a record_ year last year. Sargoods had not received any woollen hosiery from America. * j Mi. Reardon : Is it not a fact that your firm has done tetter business since the war than previously? Witness: I am here as a warehouse manager, not to discuss my firm's business. His Honour (to Mr. Reardon) : You are asking_ us to make an award probably lasting two or three years and we want to know something about the prospects of the trade. Jlr. Reardon complained that the witness's answer was evasive. His Honour (emphatically) : As far as I can see his answers are perfectly straight and you are asking impossible questions. As he says, he is not here to discuss his firm's business, but as a warehouse manager. Other warehouse managers gave evidence on similar lines, including Mr. Lees, manager of Bing, Harris and Co. "Do you know that some of the warehouses are getting goods from Germany through America?" Mr. Reardon asked tho last-named witness. Witness : No. His Honour (to Mr. Reardon) : You had better give that evidence to the Defence Department. Trading with the enemy, you know, is a criminal offence. Mr. Reardon: They are not trading with Germany ; they are trading with New York. INCREASED PRICES. For the retail trade Sydney Kirkcaldie, managing-director of Kirkcaldie and Stains, gave evidence. He corroborated the statement by the warehouse managers that supplies were increasingly difficult to obtain. Boots had increased from 10 to 20 per cent*; certain lines of woollen goods had increased 15 to 20 per cent. ' The volume of his firm's trade had been affected by the war. Retail prices had increased generally owing to increased cost. Freight, war insurance, and exchange were all important; factors in the increased prices. At this stage, his Honour suggested that a further conference bo hold between the parties and an interim agreement arrived at regarding tho underpaid workers. He thought that tho present was a very inopportune timo to ask for increases in such a trade. It was evident that tho people in tuturo would have to economise, and ono of tho directions in which thsy could oconomiso was tho extent to which they patronised tho drapery establishments. If somo agreement could not bo arrived at the union could como to tho Court lateT on. Ho did not think tho present conditions would justify an attempt to regulate the trade. It must be realised that the effecta of the war wore hardly yet being felt> but they would Jbs_ falLdiwiiyt_th»

two or three years over which the union would probably ask the award to apply. SOME FIRMS PAYING EMPLOYEES WELL. Mr. Reardon, after thanking his Honour for the suggestion, explained that he could bring numerous witnesses to prove that the volume of trade was increasing, and had increased during the period of the war. Such firms as the D.I.C. and KirkcaJdie and Stains were doing well for the majority of their employees in paying more than the minimum rates, but there were plenty of other houses which were not doing a fair thing. Some girls were getting 27s 6d, whereas if wae proved that they could not live on less than 25s a week, and they were expected to buy black dresses costing them £6 a year. A CONFERENCE DECIDED UPON. His Honour pointed out that a general increase was being afeked for to cover the whole of the employees. Mr: Reardon said he was agreeable to a conference, but he was afraid the statement just made by his Honour would prejudice the caee for the employees, and if a conference was held, the employers would want to bind them to the old agreement. His Honour said that in face of the complications and difficulties that would arise, the Court, if it made any award, would not in th© interests of the workers themselves bo justified in fixing the wages too high. Mr. Reardon: The award could be for twelve months. Mr. Grenfell said the employers wanted the dispute disposed of at once. Already a conference had been held, also & conference before the Conciliation Council at which an a-greement had been arrived at on all conditions but the preference clause. He suggested that that agreement should bo the basis of any arrived at if another conference was held. After the members of the Court had conferred, his Honour again advised the parties to hold another conference, and if they could not agree the Court would go on with the dispute next Monday, confining it to the lower p_aid employees. The Court would not be prepared, to consider any increases in the wj^gee of the higher paid employees nt the present time. The parties eventually decided to follow the Court's suggestion on the understanding that any agreement arrived at would be made an award by the Court. Tha Court then adjourned.