TRADES AND LABOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6829, 17 April 1890, Page 4

TRADES AND LABOUR.

THE TYPOGfiAPHICAL SOCIETY. The following statement and correspondence have been handed to us by the Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council for publication :— A few weeks ago the Canterbury Typo* graphical Society reported to the Trades Council the existence of an unsatisfactory state of affairs in the establishment of Messrs Whitcombe, Tombs and Company, Limited, and drew Bpecial attention to the evidence given before the Royal Commission, and also to the fact that owing to the discbarge of workmen for being con ■ nected with a Trade Society, it had been compelled to take action. The Council having the matter laid before it, at once appointed a deputation, as is usual under such circumstances, to interview the Directors of the Company, and instructed the Secretary to forward the following letter :— " G. Whitcombe, Esq. " (Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs Co.) " Dear Sir,~l am directed by the above Council to ask if you will kindly make arrangements with me to interview a deputation appointed to wait upon your Company with the object of coming to some amicable understanding re the difficulty with the Typographical Society. — I remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully, " F. J. Bidbieadk, " March 31, 1890." " Secretary. The same day (March 31) the following reply came to hand : — " JVIr F. J. Bidmeade, " Secretary Trades and Labour " Council, Christchurch. " Dear Sir, — I am in receipt of your letter of even date, and will place the matter before my Directors at their nest meeting. — I Remain, Dear Sir, " "Fours faithfully, " Geo. H. Wuitcombe, " Managing Director. " March 31, 1890 ". Nothing, however, was further heard from the Managing Director (Mr Whitcombe), and on Monday last (April 12) a member of the Council, accompanied by the Secretary, waited upon the firm again to obtain a reply. Later on the following letter was received :— "Mr F. J. Bidmeade, " Secretary Trades and Labour " Council, Christchurch. " Dear Sir, — In continuation of my letter of March 31, I have now the honour to inform you that, at a meeting of Directors of the Company held yesterday afternoon, your letter, desiring them to meet a deputation from your Council, was very carefully considered. My Directors desire me to state in reply that, owing to the action of the Typographical Association in withdrawing their members from this Company's workshops, they have had to make other arrangements for carrying on the business, which they cannot alter again just now; and while there is at present no member of the Typographical Association in the employ of the Company, they cannot see there is any object to be gained in meeting your deputation, as there remains nothing for discussion. The Directors very much regret the position they have been forced into, and their losing so many old and valued employees whom they had always worked so amicably with for a number of years ; and would ask the Council to bear in mind that it was through no fault of the Directors that the present state of affairs has resulted; but they are reluctantly compelled to decline now to re-open the question or to disturb their present arrangements. — I remain, &3., " Geo. H. Whitcombe, " Managing Director. "April 15." Ih is understood that the Typographical Society will endeavour to induce the mfinageinent to adopt the arrangements recently made with the Master Printers' Association, of which Mr Whitcombe is still a member. There are also other matters the Council wish to see rectified, among which may be stated the undue employment of cheap female labour, and other alleged facts brought to light by the Sweating Commission.