WOOLLEN MILLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1855, 15 September 1913, Page 3

WOOLLEN MILLS.

Sir,—At a meeting of shareholders of tho Wellington Woollen Company, a report of wnich appeared in your paper of September 6, Air. Barber, chairman of directors, denied, in answer to a question, presumably asked by Mr. Varburton, "that it was utter nonsense to say that the weavers were only employed on certain days of tho week." iSow, sir, let me say that the statement of Mr. Barber is wrong, for as a matter of fact, not only have tho weavers been working short time, but pieceworkers in the hosiery department have been doing tho same; not from choice, but bccauso they had no work to do. This is not an occurrence of ono week, but it has been happening since before Juno last; to my own knowledge, for I asked Mr. Barber at that time, through the public press, why it was tliat the company ot which ho was managing director were always making an outcry about the shortage of hands, to explain why it was that the weavers were working short time cvory week, but ho has not yet explained why. I am suro that tlio workers at the mill will bo very thankful t> Mr. Warburton for bringing tho matter of not getting full-time work under tho notieo.of tho shareholders, and tho workers will also tie much annoyed at the answer given by Mr. Barber, especially thoso who through no fault of their own have been compelled to have timo off each week. Now, if this company is so hard pressed for hands as they try to make tho public believo they are, you would think it would •bo a good business proposition for them to utiliso ajl tho labour they had available, if not in ono department then in some other department, before crying out about a dearth of hands, of which wo hear so much about. —I am, E. KENNEDY, Secretary, Petono Woollen Mills Employees' Union. 1 ;