IN A BOOT FACTORY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 3

IN A BOOT FACTORY.

THE GIRLS AT WORK. . Boot-making, does not strike one as . feeing , work for .girls, , and . yet in one Wellington factory—Messrs. Hannah and Co.'s —there- aro;44,girls employed, sewing, lining, and finishing boots, , doing," in l fact practically everything- to them, except to cut them out and'sole •them. ' , ... It is work that-used ,to be too heavy for a "girl's hands, but quite truly does Sir " Frederick Treves point out that after, all hands count-for: less and less nowadays, the machine's , the thing; and so it is here as'elsewhere. . The . machine driven by ■ motor, power stitches through, the thick. , leather,., and it only • Tequires';a girl's 1 careful, hands and her •' 'quick ; eye to "guide, it, and so in the one..long wo^krooni' ..the. girls .may bo seen at;. work_.with their , various machines,' each working -from a little heap of leather or cloth beside her,,and.each doing . just one thing. , j; , It is, .interesting ; to ; ',.g'o- down, those two long rows, and see* what their work is, how here a girl ?is sewing pieces of lining together or facing-'it, and there she is doing ;a "few .'inches of stitching, and interesting to notice how tho different machines are contrived. for the work, but there is lio interest in the work of:-- each individual girl. It is specialised as far as specialisation can go. .; Readers : of Foster, Fraser's' book on America will remember .what he says there .of the specialisation of work in, American' factories, and it would prob- ; ; ably surprise many to' find how far it is carried here. " : ' .- ;■

.-The . whirr of V the machines is , intermittent, quite different from thesteady song :of the machines ill: a dressmaker's workroom,-. for- each 'girl -does only ' a scrap of work and:with every few inches the >'- breaks off. • inches of * a curved seam is the-allotted"task of one girl," : who "-'.all' day "long •' sews; just. the curved seam that runs"alohg the sidei' It is wbrk.'that; well/ and -has, to be done."very carefully,* for the sewing must .-run' close : to .the edge of the •leather with the very narrowest margin, and make no mist'akbs'eitlicr, and it is this sewing 1 that makes girls from 'a 'boot 1 factory welcomed as ' tailoresses if : ever they wish to go in ■for that trade.

' - Air"alongf th&'.rlme' ! qf. -''sewersy-.We; work is divided up like this.',' One'girl will' puti'. in' the'tongues, another, .sew. hni&s, 1 pother; -the eyelet-hote's,: .anj'so on it. goesy'each girl''-giving' her wholg .attention.'[to, the tiniest piece of ■work, a^d^aH,apparently-doing ; it well, for the, manager, reports: that very. few pieces 1 of- work have .to be -thrown out as.unfitj.; . * ■ The'girls.do not mind the fepecialisationrof ;work. It ,does not seem to becomemonotonous to ; them, and when -jfuegtioncd they, always say that .they wonjd.' rather ,remain. all the time at the rework .-.they, • are; accustomed to rjitljer; than ' be' -'put -to some other machine..';- Upstairs- a girl' spends/her ;days.:"skriving;'i'«n - hich is to say, shaving :rthe leather - enough to let; "the edges' be turned 'over;- When a seam to be -sewn' the",upper ;leather has oftem_ to be", turned' underj and if it ia thick this'-is. a : matter l: of difficulty. So-the leather'is'sent'to a skriver, who works at; a-machine' with a-flat, circular ' ' working; against' a, presser footfc' If 'the leather is' thin enough, to go nnder the.'knife, there is-no need to skri.'ve'it, but'otherwise it'is shaved off to tfie required thinness., ; ', .. One of the girls'at a skriving machine was asked whether tho work did not become distasteful by its monotony, and whether she wouid not like a change, b'ut* she "replied that she had been skriving for seyen years, and had no desire whatever to change. She is dow earning '325. fid.'a week.'" In this trade the wages are good, and, in every -casethe. girls reoeiyd, mucji more than; the award .allows thein, for<it,is'work in which quickness and,,,accuracy ;count, ,and : people must /have .boots. This is np.t.-an able, bnsinesj, such as' painting . pic-, tuifes, or playing the piano. The award rate, starts'; at 7s. a '.week,. but usually when a girl comes sho'begins at 10s.'' or|l2s. 6d., .and of tho girls amy get'double the award rate. One girl, with .'her hair > down, who sews tongues into, the. boots, earns '255. .a week at the agreeable feisk, and the ,one . who .punches eyelet-holes in the leather, makes £1 a week at that.

A .philosophical visitor • to New Zealand recently wanted ,to know what we .did ;with-<*ur spare time. In all civilised nations, ..he.-.'said,, people spent their working-lioiirs in much the same way— ' the .test:of character!came.in; the employment of one's leisure hours, and one realises this very clearly when visiting such a factory. In the'ir eight hours of.work they..earn their living,' it, ; is.. after those hours that their living begins. The happy employment of that time, which means so much to the girlsj ( should .be to some extent a matter of concern to the community.

; SOCIAL AND PERSONAL. Wedding at Hutt. At tho Church of St.. Peter and St. Paul 011 Saturday, Miss Myrtle Mabel Cudby, youngest, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cudby, was married to Mr. Goldney Rees, eldest son of Mr. C. W. ltees, of Christchurch. Tho Rev. Father Lane officiated. The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a handsome Empire dress of amethyst cloth with Oriental trimming,, yoko and sleeves of tucked net and a heliotrope hat with ostrich feathers. . Miss Ethel Cudby, sister of the bride, was her bridesmaid, and wore an Empire gown of heliotrope chiffon taffetas with passementerie, trimming. Mr. Edward ,Tones , was best man. After, the wedding a'reception was held, at tlio homo of the bride's parents. . Among .the many beautiful. presents received was a silver cake stand.from the staff of the Union. Steamship Company. Tea at Wellington Girls' College. 'l'here was a very pleasant reunion of members of the Wellington Girls'. College Old Girls' Association at the college on Saturday afternoon, when they entertained Miss Morrah and Miss Ecclesfiold. at a farewell ,tea. .'Several of the teachers were present, and quite a large number of girls, some of whom many years, ago had been pupils' of Miss. Morrah or Miss ' Ecclesfield, while two of tho former teachers, Miss Richmond and Mrs. Hudson', made pleasant little speeches. During the afternoon there were music and recitations', and tho most important part of the programmq came when Miss Annio Holm,'one of the secretaries of tho. association, on behalf of the old girls, presented handsome gifts to the two teachers. To Miss Morrah she gave a handsome silver rose bowl, and to 'Miss Ecclesfield a set of silver teapot, sugar basin, and jug, saying that theso gifts-were tokens of the girls' love and esteem. Both the ladies expressed their thanks and appreciation, . and afterwards Miss M'Lean - made a graceful little speech. . ■

LA' Privato View. Those ' who arc interested in art in Wellington,' and' more especially interested in the progress of-Wellington art students, should' Visit Messrs. Jl'Gregor Wright's- gallery, where ' Miss Maud Kimball has a large collection of her work now on view. There are between seventy and eighty pictures*in the collection, covering a very wide range of subjects, and exhibiting great ■ versatility of. style.. One reason for the variety is that the work-is not'only of -recent date, and it is interesting to compare the artist's latest work with that done some little time ago. There are seascapes, landscapes, figure studies, decorative panels, and animal studies, all exhibiting careful drawing and broad treatment.- Somo Maori portraits are particularly good, and per-haps-the most interesting work in thecollection is a series of six dog'studies, full of, expression and very -cleverlydone. Most of- the sea sketches are of boats at the Wellington wharves, or lying out in, the harbour, and some of these are yery- pleasing, the best 'perhaps being the small little picture entitled "Repairs." Miss Kimball makes her shadows very purple, and the reflec--tions exceptionally vivid. in;colouring,-, 'but one would always '.'hesitate ''to ■'•■say '.tli at the colouring of these-could everbe too vivid since shadows hold such extraordinary depth-of colour—but' does ;the-Queen's 'Wharf; eyerj 'even - .-to,.the, impressionist arti-st, _:look .a '■ purple.; mauve? A charming little..:.bit is "Sunset Through the Trees,"; a grove of slender purplo tree trunks seen ; aga-inst a sunset sky, and there are many attractive little sketches of characteristic New. Zealand scenery, trees and meadow 'lands, and low ranges in .the distance.'_'"ln Solitary Grandeur," for instance, is good, a tree rising from a field tinted with masses of pinktopped' thistles, ' and standing 1 out against a low / line of 1 hills and a sky heaped with cumulus clouds,.' rand good , also ■ are "The '-. Bluegums," rone'of her.,latest pieces of " work; and "The Karaka Tree." -. "A Smithy Inj .terior" is a careful ' study- in deep browns and: shadows, and 'this -was awaTdgd a bronze medal, in tho. South Kensington ■ National Competition'. There is good .work in. tho study/ of a -sleeping child, and a sunny picture of calves in ,- a field beside some trees would havo been altogether pleasing ,had it been better balanced, but as it is quit© a fourth of. tho picture is bare, unbroken. sky. ■ Altogether. tho collection! is an. interesting one, and well worth a vjsit.

On Saturday Miss'Kimball gave a private viow of her pictures, and during the afternoon many guests were present,, all of them evincing a est in her work. Among them' were Mr!'and Mrs. 0. Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Pitkefihley, Mr. and. Mrs. A. Samuel, Mr. and Mrs. Chapiian,' Mrs. Jolliffe, Miss Hardinge-Maltby, Miss Sybil Jolin- ; ston, Miss Climie, Miss Thompson, Mr. M'Donald, Mrs. Henry Smith, and Mr. 'Welch. ' ' r Victoria College Students. The students at Victoria College have a very pleasant time -and their work •is most delightfully balanced by opportunities for social enjoyment. Tlvo students who liave come up : for the first time, this tern . made their acquaintance with the social side of college life on. Saturday evening when they were entertained by the committee of the Victoria Collego Students" Association .at the gymnasium.. In addition to .the new students there were present several of tho professors and their wives .and members of the various college/ 'committees.- During tho 'evening'.there were ■ competitions,: and a musical programme. Mr. Wilson, president of the Students' Association, delivered an address of welcome. After the concert, supper was served and. a very enjoyable evening brought to a close. .

. Miss Amy Murphy is tho guest of Miss Bastin. ' ' ~v . ' The opening of tho golf 1 season, at tho Heretaunga links takes plaoe' rioxfc Saturday afternoon. On Saturday afterwards Miss Kelly, who is being much feted by her friends, was the guest of honour at a very pleasant tea given by Mrs. Kirby. Mrs. Edfin Jones, wifo of tho vicar of Paraparaumu,. is in town, and. is the guest of 'Mrs. David Williamson, Grant Soad. Miss lendall left on Friday for a holiday visit to Australia. 1 A general meeting of members of the Pioneer Club will be held this ovening te discuss tho question of- retaining the club's present promises or taking new 'rooms near Lambton Quay. It is hoped that as many members as possible will attend. . The autnmn is on us, and the winter . follows—searching times for tho complexion. madam! If you have not discovered the famous John Strango Winter's preparations, you are taking big risks. Write for Mrs. Stannard's charming book, "Comely Woman." Post free on application to tho John Strango'Winter Co., N.Z., 228 Nathan's Building, Wellington.—Advt.