Page 26 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIV, Issue 43, 18 February 1887, Page 26

WHOLESALE BOOT FACTORY, South Dunedin. Retail Shops, MAIN STREET, SOUTH DUNEDIN. Suburban Notes, by " Rusticus." When walking into town on Friday morning I met Mr. Roughton, boot and shoe manufacturer, Main Road, South Dunedin, and after complimentary greetings, he enquired how I found business, to which I made the uanal stereotyped reply that the very name of business in these depressed times was only a sham, a delusion, and a snare, and as a matter of fact there was none at all, when he replied, " Come in here," pointing to his manufactory, " and I will show you how the depiession, as you call it, affects me." We walked in, and found ten giils as busy as bees, some at sewing machines, stitching the uppers of boots of every kind, shape, and size, and others at different kinds of work. From there we went into another room, where a half-dozen young men and lads were also busily engaged at different parts of boots ; from thence into another, then into a fourth, thence outside into a shop where one '' gang " were at it, and then into another shop where another batch of busy hands were toiling away. Mr. Roughton informed me that besides those that I saw at work he has fully 20 more working at their own homes, and that he finds constant employment to nearly 70 hands all the year round. On my asking him how he managed to keep always busy when other factories had their seasons of slackness, and work short hours, his reply was that he was a thoroughly practical workman himself, that he personally superintended the whole business, made it his sole endeavour to supply a first-rate article at such a moderate price, and of such a superior quality, that they advertised themselves, and kept his expenses down to a minimum. Every one on the premises had his work before him. There were no drones or idlers there, nor would they be tolerated. Of course the newest and best of machinery for cutting and rolling the leather is utilised, and everything in the whole establishment seemed to me to be in apple-pie order, Casual passersby would never imagine, looking at the plain, unpretentious shop, that there was such a hive of industry within its walls. If, however, they would step inside and enquire for the courteous principal, I am certain he would with pleasure show them over the whole of the premises, and explain to them all the mysteries of the art of boot and shoe manufacturing, as carried on in these latter days of ours. I have mentioned before that Mr. Roughton said he kept his expenses down to the lowest minimum. I do mean by that that he pays small wages, on the contrary, I believe that his tradesmen earn very good wages, fully equal to, if not better, than those paid in other factories, and I also know that the utmost good feeling exists between him and his employes, as some of them have been in his service for years, and others who previously had left and gone to Victoria and New South Wales are back again with him. I would like to see some more factories employing as many hands in full swing amongst us, nd if a little more protection and encouragement were given to local industries, they would soon spring up, and then the depression w hich we hear so much of at present would ke unto itself wings and flee away ; let us a tpe that the day is not far distant when such will be the case ; in the meantime let us wish more success and business to the enterprising proprietor of the boot and shoe factory in South Dunedin. And at THE Al BOOT SHOP, Geokge Street, Dunfdin (Next Carter & Co., Drapers). FRANCIS MEENAH -R WINE AND SPIRIT MERCHANT, Wholesale and Retail PRODUCE AND PROVISION MERCHANT Great King-street, Dunedin (Opposite Hospital). r.-iOi lmycr of Oats, Butter and Potatoes. HARP OF ERIN HOTEL QUEENSTOWN. Mbs. M'Bride ... Proprietoress. The above commodious and comfortable Hotel offers first-class accommodation to Tourists and others visiting the Lake scenery