RELIC OF FEUDALISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 986, 31 May 1930, Page 29

RELIC OF FEUDALISM

LIVING-IN SYSTEM PROPOSAL ATTACKED “A relic of feudalism," was the description given by Mr. J. R. Leslie, general secretary of the English Shop Assistants’ Union, of the “living-in” system for shop assistants. In a recent speech Sir Sydney Skinner, chairman of John Barker and Co., declared that a restoration of the system would recruit a superior type of boy and girl to the profession. The best shop assistants in the past were the children of farmers, but today mothers were afraid of sending their daughters to town, where they might be unable to find satisfactory accommodation. ! “Our contention,” said Mr. Leslie, I “is that assistants, like every other I class of workers, should be paid in the current coin of the realm, and not j have to accept any kind of board and lodging that an employer cares to provide “At one time the ‘living-in’ system was supported on the ground of moral guardianship, but that was exploded

long ago by the fact that, under modern conditions, the employer does not live on the premises with his staff. “We see no reason why there should be this invitation for farmers’ sons and daughters to come to London. The fact that more than 200,000 shop assistants are unemployed at present indicates that there is plenty of labour without resorting to livingin as an inducement for parents to send their children from the country to the city.” Mr. S. H. Clay, chairman and managing director of Frederick Gorringe, Ltd., defending the system, said that “it attracted the right type of assistant.”

“Girls whose parents live in London may prefer to be at home,” he added, “but the majority of our assistants much prefer to live in, because it is so expensive to live out. We still have boy and girl apprentices. “We get an extremely nice type of boy and girl, and many have risen to important positions in the firm. Apprentices from 15 upward come from Scotland, Wales, Leeds and all parts of the kingdom. We have a fine sports ground, with tennis, cricket, football, hockey and dances in the pavilion. There is a very good club spirit, which would be lacking but for the living-in system.”