APPRENTICES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 August 1924, Page 9

APPRENTICES.

THE TAILORING TRADE. A vSORE POINT. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 19. The Arbitration Court was engaged to-day hearing a number of applications arising out of the Apprentices Act of last session. Mr. Penfell, for the employers, said the Master TailoTs’ Association had agreed to an order concerning their trade, but they desired that such order, or a somewhat similar one, should apply to the other branch .of the trade This was a matter of serious moment to bespoke tailors. Mr. Justice Frazer said he did not see how the Court could make a similar provision as to apprentices in the factory-made suit trade as would he made in the bespoke tailor trade. Mr. David Milligan, master tailor, said there were a number of firms making and disposing of what were really factory-made suits, and these suits were being sold as tailor-made. The master tailors complained of the unequal conditions. Certain firms were registering under the wholesale manufacturers’ award, which allowed them to have a certain amount of apprentice labour. Master tailors were restricted to one apprentice to three adults, but others firms could be getting work done where the proportion of apprentices w;is over twenty to one adult. Female apprentices were not included in the Apprentices Act. His Honor said that .females were not apprenticed to the trade in tliti same way as boys were. It appeared to him that it was a case where the master tailors should proceed bv way of legislation. It might be possible to pass legislation making it an offence to sell as a tailor-made suit that which was not tailor-made. Many people were led to think that factory-made were tailor-made suits. There appeared to have been a certain amount of deception in advertising. It was announced by the court that agreements in regard to the apprenticeship question bad been arrived at in respect to a number of trades.-