CHEAP RAILWAY UNIFORMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20964, 1 March 1930, Page 14

CHEAP RAILWAY UNIFORMS.

CLOTHING FEDERATION PROTESTS.

Mr F. 11. Cooke, secretary of the New. Zealand Clothing and Trade Federation, has (says the Christchurch Press) forwarded the following letter to the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph ; “ The above federation wishes to bring under your notice for consideration some o£ the difficulties facing the Clothing and Tailoring Federations at the present time. “ Foreign competition is making conditions very bad. The unionists in the past have at great sacrifice made life a little easier for the workers, but tile great cry for cheapness is going forth. Quality of goods and justice to workers arc being ignored. Your Railways Department accepts tenders for railway servants’ uniforms disgracefully low in price and of the poorest quality in material, trimmings, and manufacture, and this federation enters its protest against the standard of equality being lowered for the sake of cheapness. '

“ The servants of the State should not be compelled to dress iu the worst sloppy clothing, as it has a very unhealthy result in lowering them in their own and other people’s estimation. “ The demand for cheapness is not needed in New Z-ealand; a country of generous returns for the minimum effort, such demand causes the speeding up of the women and girls beyond the reasonable limit andjs inimical to the vitality of the future Now Zealand population. “ The present rush for more goods for less money should not be encouraged by the Government; we .should demand a high standard —the best only is good enough for us. 1 have also been instructed to urge that when new uniforms arc to be made the centres Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin shall have their just share of the work according to the quality needed in those districts.”