THE TAILORESSES' AWARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13389, 18 January 1907, Page 6

THE TAILORESSES' AWARD.

REPLY TO SOUTHERN COMMENTS.

The comments of the Southern manufacturers concerning the recent tailoresaes' award with particular reference to Auckland (published yesterday) created some surprise in clothing manufacturing circles int Auckland yesterday. Inquiries made by a Herald reporter from a gentleman engaged in one of the most important establishments in the North, elicited the information that the tailoresses in Auckland were working under tin award that was satisfactory to the employers and workers. The argument that the Auckland manufacturers weie underselling the Southern houses was, he contended, thoroughly disproved at the Arbitration Court, The Court asked for informa.tion from the various manufacturers in Auckland and the South, and the Court no doubt based their award on the facts submitted. The Southern manufacturers had hitherto done a bigger business in Auckland than the Auckland houses did in the South and that position he believed remained unchanged. When asked to explain why he thought the Southern manufacturers had not been so satisfied with the award, he stated that as tar as he understood it. it was said in the South that the Auckland tailoresses did not get, as high wages as the tailoresses there did, but he believed that that was wrong. At any rate they could earn quite as much in Auckland. Manufacturing in Auckland was tarried on under a different system to that of the South, but, the weekly wages weie quite as much. They had a better system of manufacture in Auckland, and he saw no reason why they should revert to a system that would only increase the cost of piodtictiou.

"Is (-here any reason why Auckland should be penalised for the South?" "No, and we do not want to be penalised," was the reply.