INDUSTRY IN NORMANBY

Te Ao Hou, March 1960, Page 36

A cheerful group at the Zemba factory, from left, Misses Beverley Davis, Gracie Luke and June King. Right: The forewoman, Mrs M. R. Luke, operating the ironing machine, keeps a happy atmosphere at the factory. INDUSTRY IN NORMANBY by E. V. CRANE Taranaki Maoris are proud of their heritage and their community life and nowhere are they more so than in the small dairying district of Normanby, four miles north of Hawera. However, one of the community's important places of industry for women is not on the farm but through a clothing manufacturer, M. Zemba Ltd. One of several branches of the firm in the North Island—the others are at Inglewood and Wanganui with head office at Wellington—the Zemba factory on the Mawhitiwhiti Road, Normanby, employs a usual staff of between 30 to 40 of which 13 at present are Maori workers. The factory, which has been in existence for about eight years, produces on an average 700 dozen garments of underwear a week and about 130 dozen garments a day. To produce such a large number an efficient, hard working staff is essential. As the manager of the factory, Mr J. Uncles said this week, the Maori workers form an important part of his staff. Generally, they are conscientious, good workers. Through training they have become proficient at their trade. Most are youngsters under the age of 21. The work they do is mainly concerned with the making of underwear on intricate looking machines in a large work shop. The girls are required to do so much work a day and anything over this amount is paid for on a bonus system. They work from 8 a.m. to 4.45 p.m. Other girls are employed packing the articles of clothing for delivery to Wellington. One girl is employed on the ironing machine. When a reporter and photographer visited the factory they could not help but be impressed by the air of happy industry. Some of the Maoris, although obviously taking their jobs most seriously,

Miss Beverley Davis shows the working of the overlocking machine. Miss Mary Waka folds garments ready for packing. still had time for smiles and words of welcome. Even the camera did not put them out of their stride. The factory's manager, Mr Uncles, had praise for his staff in spite of a shortage of staff for some time. Last summer the total employed was 40 but when work became short it was necessary to put some employees off. Then work became available in plenty and the problem now was to fill the vacancies. The factory thus provides employment for a number of young Normanby and Okaiawa girls who otherwise would drift into Hawera or possibly out of the district altogether. Admittedly, the weekly wage is not high but it can be supplemented by bonuses which are paid on ability. Some of the girls go to and from work by taxi—at no expense to themselves. The job means a steady income and as such a certain amount of stability in the lives of the girls and their families. They not only learn a trade, which is useful, but learn to fit in with the pakeha pattern of a modern industry.