VALEDICTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2244, 4 March 1897, Page 15

VALEDICTORY.

! Op Saturday at the South Wnd. Foundry the | employees assembled to bid Mr H. fi. Khacklock, who left on Monday by the Manapouri for a holiday to the old country, good-bye. Mr J. Prentice, the foreman moulder, in a few well-choßen remarks said that- on behalf of tha men he had very great pleasure in handing to Mr .Shacklock a slight memento of thnir good wishes in the shape of a dressing case, which was inscribed as follows :— " A memento to fl. £. Shacklock, Esq , from his employees on the occasion of hi« leaving on a visit to the old country. Duuediu, New Zealand, March 1, 1897." Mr Prentics went on to say that the men I'.esired to express theirgrutitude to Mr Shackloek for his general kindn«ss and consideration towards them, and hoped be would liavo a very pleasant trip. Mr Shacklock, in reply, (said h« thanked the men for the good wishes they had just extended towards himself. Fit, considered that a trip to the old country wai an event of Some importance, an much travelling about meant considerable risks and probably many changes here, public and private, during one's Absence. In the works he had striven for order, and he wan glad to find that his efforts had been well £econd»d, so much so that he ventured to tell them that he had never seen -a foundry kept so clean as the South Krd Foundry. He desired to take that opportunity of saying that possibly during his absence a Master and Apprentices' Bill might be put through Parliament. Trades unions had asked that there should be employed one boy to three men, and he had calculated that if this were effecfced_ it would •be absolutely impossible for » sufficiency of young men to be trained in New Zealand to become good tradesmen. If ino'enturing all boys was insisted on in the bill he believed that boys would be far worse off then than now for many reasons. When a lad felt that the terror of discharge was taken away he often .became careless, and would not attempt to do his best. Sneaking personally, if tho bill passed through Parliament compelling masters to indenture boys up to 18 years of age he would not employ "any boys at; all. He himself had not been indentured, with the result that during his apprenticeship he had the opportunity of working at his trade in several foundries, and consequently saw * many different ways of doing the same thing, and also had a greater variety of work than if he had continued in the same shop. Ho far as his • works were concerned they knew that he paid higher wages to a boy in his last year than I perhaps any other shop in the colony. He went 1 on to state that he had been in the colony 85 I years, and that when he landed here there was one foundry that employed one man three days a week, and he contrasted then with now. In i conclusion, he said he was v taking Mrs 1 Shacklock with him, and they hoped to i have a good time. They intended to see many places, and the people would probably find him " a chiel amang 'em taking notes." Mr Crosby Smith said he had the pleasure, on behalf of the workmen, in asking Mr Shacklock to accept for Mrs Sbacklock a further Btnall memento in the shape of a Mosgiel travelling rug, and at the same time requested him to convey to her their good wishes for her health, and that they hoped the trip would prove to her a most enjoyable one. Mr Smith said while Mr Shacklock was speaking he could not help going back 20 years, when the business was in its infancy, and think of the quiet courage and foresight shown by Mr Shacklock in constructing and putting on the market the articles which have now such a wide sale. It had all been done without asking for a penny of Protection, showing that if a local industry was of the right stamp it required little Protection at the hands of the colony. Mr Shacklock briefly returned thanks on behalf of Mrs Shacklock, and the proceedings terminated with cheers.