FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19549, 3 February 1938, Page 5

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

BOTH SIDES PENALISED

IRKSOME LEGISLATION

OPERATIVES OUT OF WORK

(Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day.

Remarks made concerning the labour position in the boot manufacturing industry in Auckland by Mr. C. A. Watts, secretary of the New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Industrial Association of Workers, and also by a manufacturer, were the subject of comment by the principal of a large footwear manufacturing firm.

The view was expressed that while it was unfortunte that so many boot operatives were .out of work, the situation was harder for the manufacturers who, whether they had trade to handle or not, were forced to keep in employment at full rates of pay both youths and girls, thus necessitating the putting off of adult hands. It was at the instance of the Government that the manufacturers had endeavoured o employ the full quota of apprentices allowed by the award.

■Considering the high returns from the Dominion's export trade and the wealth thus accruing, the boot trade and other manufacturing industries should now be enjoying a marked degree of prosperity, he said. As pointed out by Mr. Watts, the boot trade was not in this position. Importations of goods from overseas was not the only cause of this condition, but irksome restrictions and regulations hampering manufacturing.

Training of Apprentices

Whereas eight months ago there was lull employment for all operatives, there were now 90 men out of work, according to Mr. Watts. It must be well known to Mr. Watts that no up-to-date manufacturer could run his concern profitably on juvenile labour only. To ,run a modern industry, one of the main conditions must be mutual understanding and co-operation between employer and employee. This was very marked during the last slump, and despite the undue coercion from which they now suffered, the manufacturers were still making the employment of their workers, especially adults, their chief concern, but a progressive manufacturer must have a continual flow of labour coming in, and what better class could they have to draw on than the sterling, healthy and intelligent lads who, at present to the number of about 5000, were being brought up untrained and unfitted to play their part in the welfare of the country. Mention was made by Mr. Watts of clauses in the new award relating co apprentices. If these clauses were enforced it was going to make it much harder for the manufacturers to carry on. The industry was already overweighted by numerous ordinances.