THE FURNITURE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2422, 30 March 1915, Page 7

THE FURNITURE TRADE

A FEW. GRIEVANCES. • Certain, matters affecting the furniture trade,and' the Furniture Workers' Union were brought under the Primo Minister' 6 notice yesterday by a deputation from the uv.lon, introduced bv Mr. R, Fletcher, M.P. Mr. D. Moriarty, secretary of the union, was the only speaker. Hp the Minister to introduce lug'slation oil the,lines of the Sag Fuck Act to ensure that ail mih flock U"'d in upholstery Bhould be clean. H present the workers Mere aiked to cejiso and work stuff that hi.d beun used in .bedding in hospitals and hotels, vljere there was great chance uf ;ts boig infected or unclean. Ho n.'so aeked the Prime Minister to take some action to prevent tre impoi ration inlo New_ Zealand Lf lurnitare, chiedy v:t-ker furniture, made by cheap Asiatic labour. He also made complaint against the Labour Department, chiefly concerning the granting of under-rate workers' permits to persons not entitled to have them.

The' Prime Minister, in reply, said' that he had not heard before of the first point raised—that regarding rag flock— but it seemed to him more a matter for the Health Department than for the Labour Department. If there was danger of disease being communicated as was _ suggested the matter ought to be rectified, and be would refer it to the Health Department or the Labour Department_ for inquiry with ' a view ' to action being taken, legislative or otherwise. Concerning the importation of goods made by cheap Asiatic labour, he had never changed his views about tho importation of goods made by underpaid labour in Asiatic or any other countries. 'Where it was possible .to encourage trade or industry, within the Umpire we should do it, and he was very glad to see that the patriotic sentiment in this and other British Doininions wns running very strongly in that direction. If legislation should bo necessary to encourago this scheme further he would ho prepared to support it._ With regard to the administration of the Labour Department he would suggest that the Department was in a difficult position, being required to hold 'the scales evenly between employers and employees. His own opinion was that the officers of tho Department were reasonable men, anxious to do their duty. If Mr. Moriarty would supply in writing particulars of certain charges he had made against individual officers, the cases would be investigated.