Retires After Sixty-seven Years’ Work

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 292, 10 December 1936, Page 3

Retires After Sixty-seven Years’ Work

MR. ALFRED EADE, OF FEILDING,

"Yes, I started work when I was eight years of age,” said Mr. Alfred, Bade, of Feilding, yesterday in the course of a conversation with a "Times” representative concerning his retirement, after close on fifty years of active business in the town. Hailing from Old Ford, London, Mr. Eado explained that he was born at a period, when it was quite a common occurrence for work to - be commenced at an early age and he was no exception to the prevailing custom. As a little chap of only eight summers he entered into the bootmaking business, and for what would be condemned as less than a pittance worked long hours, six days ot everv week, learning tho business of making footwear. As he won experience he became proficient in the work and at the age of 12 was making bootsand shoes, receiving 4Jd for a pair of boots and 21d for a pair of children’s! shoes. There 'was little respite from tho daily task which commenced at 8 o’clock in the morning and finished at 7 o’clock iu the evening. At the age of IG years he decided to follow his brother who had migrated to New Zealand and, with a cousin, took passage iu the ship Gainsborough for the Antipodes. The ship was of 900 tons and carried 300 immigrants as well as a big crew. The voyage occupied four and a-half months and on arriving in Wellington on a Saturday afternoon Mr. Fade was met by his brother who introduced him to Hannah’s boot store in Cuba street where he was engaged to commence work on the Monday morning. That his young mind had had no time to adjust itself to colonial conditions is reflected in the statement made by Mr. Fade yesterday. “When Hannah’s found that I knew something about tho boot trade they agreed to employ m,e at 255. I undertook to report for duty on the Monday morning but on leaving the shop I asked my brother what was meant by 255; did it mean 25s a month 1 ? ‘Oh, no,’ my brother answered, ‘2ss a week.’ I could hardly believe that I was to get-25s a week when I had been working longer hours for half that sum at Home. 1 reported with my tools on the Monday morning and commenced work at my bench. Apparently my methods interested the other employees for presently one came over and inquired when I had arrived and where I had come from. 1 answered him and went ahead, when presently I received a nudge from one of tho men that they did not work at that pace in that fac-' tory. This I did not understand for I had been used to working fast at Home and it was only natural that I should proceed at tho same pace iu my new job. The others did not like it though but but did not have to worry long about me for at the end of a fortnight I met with an accident on a horse which terminated my bootmakiug job.” Mr. Fade went on to say that he was laid up for some time after this accident, the marks of which he bears today, and on recovering entered the business of cabinet making. With his late brother, Air. J. W. Eade, ho came to Feilding for a day in 1878, four years after Feilding was founded, and then entered the cabinet making business of Mr. F. W. Venn, of Palmerston North, where he remained for a year. His brother established the original business of the linn of Eado and Sons in Feilding in ’79 in a little shop iu Alanchester street. Air. Eado recalled when it was decided to build on the present site of the firm’s premises ho assisted in felling tho trees and when the pretentious building commenced to take shape, the settlers of tho town became convinced that the Eado brothers were quite mad in building such premises. "However,” said Air. Fade, "time has proved that they were necessary andi proved that they were necessary and they have served us well for almost 50 years.” Air. Eade took over tho business from his brother in 18S7 and early this year retired after G 7 years’ active work at the age of 75 years. Tho management of the various branches has been taken over by his three sons, Alessrs C. 11. Eade, W. A. Eade and P. C. Eade.