THE OVERCROWDED TRADE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15922, 7 May 1912, Page 5

THE OVERCROWDED TRADE

TO THB MOTTO*. Sir, —I can well imagine the kind of individual whose letter appeared in your correspondence columns of the 2nd instant, under the nom de plume of " Young Draper." Permit mo to add the prefix "very." A pen picture may prove so extraordinarily realistic that lie may consider I am of his acquaintance, but this I beg to sparo myself. I presume "Young Draper" was suffering from a slight attack of "swelled head'' upon the momentous occasion of his emerging from tho apprenticeship. For his edification let me point out that I never even hinted that I myself received 35s per week salary, though I could mention married men—and first-class salesmen too — who are doing so. Again "Young Draper"—be he over so young—knows as well as I do that not one " ordinary salesman " in twenty is paid £3 5s per week, no matter if he works in frock-coat or shirt sleeves. Moreover, I challenge your correspondent to deny that the drapery assistants of Christchurch are the worst paid salesmen in Australasia, _as calculated against the cost of living. In Wellington, whero wages are Higher than ■ hero, the soft-goods assistants have been forced into forming themselves into a union. How much more, therefore, should we not adopt the same course in Christchurch? Again, this particular trade is of suoh a nature that an employee is practically unable to defend himself against the vagaries of an unscrupulous employer. I repeat that it is only by uuionism that those ideals may be reached, by which a happier understanding can be built up between employer and employee, and 1 trust that the" time is not far distant when the Drapers and Soft-Goods Assistants' Union of Christchurch will be duly filed in the Court of Awards. This is reply finale.—l am, etc., OLD DRAPER. TO THE BDITOII. Sir, —Your correspondent " Young Draper," writing a few days ago, expressed his surprise at the statements of an " Old Draper " regarding salaries, etc. Well, he being young it was somewhat natural that surprise should be sprung upon him. I hope he has since recovered his mental balance. Itoccurs to me, however, that though his letter may appear tho outcome of youthfulness, on account of the " tallncss " of his talk, the maturity of the head which conceived it is a little more ancient. He says: " From personal experience he could state that if a man is any sort of a tradesman he can earn his £3 to .£3 5s a week." I should like to ask this somewhat elevated "Young Draper" what he means by " any sort of a tradesman P" Does he mean a good. a bad, or an indifferent one? He who parades a decent scholarship qualification, and no doubt, aspjres to" one, must have the ambitious, soaring capacity to see that his 1 term covers the throe olasses. Ho can 1 take his choice, of course, as to which he belongs, though, perhaps, to heighten our opinion of his employer s liberality lie may not object to us surmising lie belongs to the latter. Now, I unhesitatingly say that the bulk of the men of experience in the trade know that any sort of a tradesman does not receive the sum he states. " Old Draper," in his estimate, is. nearer the mark. "Young Draper' further informs us he can name several drapery firms in our city who pay thenaverage men the above sums, and ho adds, with that air of certainty which more naturally surrounds a meeting ot employers, "of course tho head of any department receives more, which in many cases amounts to '.-£6 and £6 10s and more, per week." By tho way, it does seem strange to the ordinary drapery intelligence how our " Young Draper" comes to liave. as it were, a brief from " our leading houses" to announce himself with such certainty, and to flourish the emphatic "of course." It may bo that the older members of the trade generally lack this "decent scholarship" which could swell about J thirty-five shillings, or a little more a week into tho £3 or the £3 ss, or the average £3 or £3 5s of the head of a ( department into the imaginary £6 or j £6 10s per weok. There is little use in my asking "Young Draper" to j name the several drapery firms who pav tho wages he states, for every man of experience in the trade knows he cannot, for tho simplest of all reasons, that such salaries do not exist, generally speaking, on tho pay-sheets of the trade.—l am, etc.. ' • a p-vr aw EXPERIENCE.