THE FURNITURE TRADE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 9

THE FURNITURE TRADE.

DAJTGEE OP CHINESE COMPETITION. "When tho employers in the New Zealand furniture trade met in conference recently reference 'was made to the danger of competition from Chinese furniture manufacturers. Although no representations wero made- to the No'aj Zealand' Federated Furniture Trades .Association;on tho point, tfliat body resolved to prosecute enquiries on its own account as to whether Cliineso were entering into the furniture manufacturing business in the Dominion.

■ The secretary of the Association (Mr D. Kennedy) recently» wrote to the Auckland Union, as well as to Sydn»y and Melbourne, to ascertain the number of Chinese who were.' working in the trade in those places, and what steps were being taken to combat any such Asiatic activity. Last week a reply was received from Auckland* stating that a total of nine Chinese were now engaged in cabinetmaking there. The secretary of the' Auckland Union' stated that the members of 'his Union vioweo. the.situation with a good deal of alarm, but he mentioned incidentally lliat trade wai quiet and that a- number of men were idle. In the course of bis reply, the secretary of the \New South Wales branch of tho Federated Furnishing Trado Society of Australasia . wrote : "Industrially, fhe Chinese, once a- great menace to us, have decreased, and arc now comparatively under control. Their declining number, however, is the most satisfactory feature of the position, f>nt whilo they continue to exist they constitute a potential danger. *AVc have sought for years to have the branding of furniture made compulsory, but without success. In Queensland, West Australia, and Victoria" the branding of Chinese furniture is compulsory.'' In December last a combined meeting of employers and employees in the furnituro trade was held in Auckland to discuss the question of Chinese competition, and a resolution was carried urging that in future the education test for Asiatics should be based on the'.requirements, of the* sixth standaid certificate for New Zealand public schools. It was «lso decided that members of Parliament and federations of employers and employees bo requested to support the raising of the education test for Asiatics, and that in view of the number of returned soldier trainees absorbed by the furniture trade, the assistance of tho Repatriation Deoartment be enlisted. Tho meeting also resolved to approach the Sawmillers' Association to stop the supply of tinibgr to Chinese, j As far as_ ten be ascertained,, no Chinese cabinetmakers are working in j "Wellington, but it is said that a China- I man has been investigating the possi- j biiity of securing a suitable building for | the jmrpose of converting it into a fur- | niture factory. / I

Mr Kennedy informed a 'Dominion" reporter that furniture manufacturers in Wellington had signified their >rillingness to co-operate with tilt Federated Furniture Trades Association in tho direction of having legislation enacted restricting the operations of Chinese in tho trade in New Zealand. By working long hours, Chinese -were 'able to turn out large quantities ot furniture and iu was thought- that the menace of this cheap competition conid be removed by limiting the hours of overtime which Chinese might irork.