INSPEOTOR OF FACTORIES V. CARPENTER.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12018, 20 August 1907, Page 3

INSPEOTOR OF FACTORIES V. CARPENTER.

To the Editor. Sir,— ln the intrests of truth and justice, I desire to draw your attention to a statement made before the RfeSident Magistrate tbis morning by the Inspector of Factories, that the ybung woman wbo made tbe article, the subject of the charge, was only able to earn on an average by working long h-ur- 13s 'per week. Her earnings for the five weeks were £i 4s lid, and out of tbis two days wore spent in working somewhere else. This shows an average of over 17s per week at work. She was wholly unused to the work, and had 3he gone to work in a [factory without experience, 5s per week might have been her earnings. Counsel for the Inspector endeavored to prove that our prices paid, which were practically the same as similar work could be done for in other centres, were sweating prices. I had present in Court a witness who could have proved that at the price Is to Is 3d per hour could be earned by an average worker; so I fail to see that any sweating is being done. Now, if shirts can be made in a factory for 7s 6d per dozen, am I not well within the mark when I say that the workers do not receive anything near that price, and if I can get shirts made for 7s 6d elsewhere, and workers here are not prepared to do tbem at that price, is it sweating in Nelson and perfectly right in other places? Do we need all * our wdrktobedone in Auckland, Wellington, ot Dunedin* or may we not be allowed to employ labor here, thus helping our city and helping ourselves? I think sir, the public Bhould know the above facts to enable them to arrive at the truth regarding alleged sweating in Nelson.—Yours etc, __ G. CARPENTER. _■■■ _ '. " =