THE BOOT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 824, 24 May 1910, Page 2

THE BOOT TRADE.

♦ ■ rOSITION OF GIRL WORKERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christchurch, May 23. In connection with the threatened trouble in the boot trade the Christchurch Operative Bootmakers' Union has passed the following motion That the executive of the Federation be urged to take legal advice as to whether the action of the manufacturers was a breach of. the award and that all parents and guardians of girls be urged not to send their girla to boot factories unless they are engaged as first or second-class apprentices for unless this is done girla may not learn the trade and may be discharged at any time by the employer giving twenty-four hours' notice. Tho trouble for the time being has apparently passed as this morning all tho large boot manufacturers reported that practically all the girls previously employed by them had applied for re-en-gagemeut. There wire a few exceptions, and in some of those cases the girls had intimated that they did not intend to resume work at . the trade. As far as the opinions of the girls themselves are concerned an employer stated that they have little sympathy with agitation which a few people had been responsible for fomenting. It may be mentioned that in one case 21 girls out of 29 returned this morning, and out "of five absentees three had previously given notice that they were severing their connection with tiie trade. Mr, G. R. Whiting, secretary of th» New Zealand Federated Boot' Trades Union, expressed no surprise at the fact that the majority of the girls, had gone back to work. 'Die whole position, he said, was in the hands of tho parents or guardians of the girls who should in his opinion have the girls engaged either'' as first or second-class apprentices. The executive of the Federation would probably take legal advice as to whether the recent action of the manufacturers tvm a breach of the award.