THE TAILORING TRADE.

New Zealand Mail, 20 August 1902, Page 48 (Supplement)

THE TAILORING TRADE.

DEPUTATION TO THE HON \y HALL-JQNES.

Two deputations representing tho tailoring industry waited upon the-Hon vt V I,'H 01108 laSt to l Jut before All’ Hall-Jones on tho 14th, to put W fore him decisions arrivied at by" the conference of working tailors and tailor tively.

The deputation from the conferer, 0 put before the Minister the resolutions arrived at by the conference, chief amongst which were requests for the establishment of a State Clothiim F ac tory; for power to be given to Boards under the Conciliation Act to bind on parties disputing over (say) only two cut of live points, the acceptance of tti o three points, when tiie parties came before the Arbitration Court for a setlement; the making binding on Auckland of an award subscribed .to in the threo other centres of industry by the unions of masters.

In regard to the latter, it was urged by the deputation that negotiations with the masters would go on much more smoothly if there was assurance tiiat the terms agreed on would bind masters and men in all four cities.

The Minister promised to look into the matter, and to bring the recommendations before Cabinet.

Another matter mentioned was that of prosecutions for breaches of tho award. The deputation desired lo have the “may prosecute” cf the Act made mandatory. The Alinister told the deputation that if sufficient, and reliable evidence to establish a ease was brought forward tho Inspector wcr.ikl prosecute; that was his duty. A member of the deputation remarked that the men should not he expected to take active steps in such matters, for to do so would be to their detriment.

A deputation, representing small master tailors, desired the Alinister to endeavour to have the law amended so that the practice might be stopped of travellers who take “chart” measurements in the country and have thesa made up in “slop” factories as “tailormade goods.” Tiie deputation pointed out that tho easier conditions in factories as to handling of the garments by different workmen made it impossible for the small tailors to successfully com. pete with the factories. A tailor was obliged to have a ccat, for instance, made and finished by one man; in a factory that was not so. It was suggested that, as a bar to the practice of factory-made goods being palmed off on country people as tailor-made, an alteration of the law should bo given effect to providing that all factory-made goods should bear a tag marked with the manufacturer’s name, and that a heavy penalty should be inflicted in tho case of any person or firm obliterating or removing such tag. The deputation urged that as the factories raid the shops worked under different “logs,” this suggestion was a perfectly fair one.

The Alinister—while pointing out tiiat the matter involved was a delicate one, and one that, if nob carefully dealt with, would lead to a great deal of trouble —promised to give full consideration to the case the deputation had made out.