POOR FURNITURE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 83, 5 October 1922, Page 8

POOR FURNITURE

TRADESMEN OBJECT

P.ROTEST BY UivION,

Members of the Wellington Furniture Trades Union are somewhat perturbed at the reported action of some employers in cutting down the times for thel completion, of certain jobs. It is stated that the effect is to compel inferior articles to be placed on the market. The complaint more particularly relates to the polishing section of the trade, and the matter was ventilated at this week's meeting of the union.

I Mr. D. E. Kennedy, secretary of the I union, informed a "Post" reporter today that the union has passed a resoluI tion, criticising the tactics resorted to by some employers in painting wood to make it bear the appearance of being oak, whereas in reality it was actually only red pine. " fho interest of the men in their trade is soch," said Mr. Kennedy, " that we believe/the public should look very carefully at* any article they contemplate purchasing, in order to ensure that it is genuine. If necessary, they should get expert advice first. A few years ago we intended holding an exhibition in order to compare properlyfinished goods with others of inferior finish. This would .have illustrated that inferior work was being foisted on to the public at the same price as charged for articles which were properly made and polished." Mr. Kennedy added that the time allowed for the completion of certain jobs, particularly polishing, was now being cut down, with the result that the tradesmen were not able to turn out a class of work which wag a pride and pleasure to themselves as weU as to the public. The wages were also being brought down in accordance with the pronouncements of the Arbitration Court, consequently the employers were effecting a saving in two wayß, but they were not making any reduction in prices to the public. As a consequence of what was going on, men were leaving the trade and it was not to be wondered at that they were refusing to return to it. lie scarcity of polishers at busy times was due to the fact that men preferred not to work under the conditions sought to be imposed upon'them. The union, said Mr. Kennedy, wanted to encourage the public to patronise those' manufacturers who turned out a • good article, and who gave their workmen fair and reasonable time to ensure that satisfactory work would be performed. In that way the standard of the trade would be uplifted and the homes of the people could be made more beanItiful by being furnished with good, ' faithfully -finished furniture.^ The men objected to having to be associated in any way. with shoddy workmanship, and they did not desire to make jobs spin out by unduly prolonging the time for their completion. Efficiency was what they always aimed at. It was through the representations of the furniture workers that certain polishing work had been allowed to bo done by New Zealand tradesmen at Parliament Buildings in order to demonstrate that as good work could bo done in the Dominion as outside.

"Men are leaving the trade because of the pin-pricking tactics being resorted to in reducing the times for completing certain work," said Mr. Kennedy, "and they won't be bothered with the business. We want to encourage highclass workmanship in every way, but the conditions .obtaining are becoming a nightmare to many men, as they make it impossible to turn out decent work. "The upholsterers," continued Mr. Kennedy, "are also going to have a meeting to discuss the practices adopted in their trade of foisting inferior articles on to the pnblic. In the past, shoddy articles have been turned out at high prices, which is unfair to the genuine maker who gives a good article for the same value. The shoddy article sooh deteriorates and becomes worthless in a very short time, whereas a good article would last almost a lifetime."