REV. MR. CHAPMAN AND THE MASTER TAILORS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 265, 5 August 1919, Page 8

REV. MR. CHAPMAN AND THE MASTER TAILORS

Sir,—As we have now two different versions of the words said to havo been used by Mr. Reardon at tile Arbitration Court, the one as reoounted by Mr. Eeardon in his letter in to-days issue of your paper, and the other as quoted by the Kev. Mr. Chapman and attributed by him to Mr. B.eardon, in common with the rest of the 'publio I should like to know which of them best expresses his meaning. The public would no doubt like to know if Mr. Heardon used the words on whioh the Kev. Mr. Chapman based his attack on the employers of the tailoring trade, and, if so, did he intend them to to mean what the majority of the public take them to mean literally— "that for every shilling given the employee the employer received .£1 as profit solely for this reason"? Point 3 in Mr. Eeardon's letter is capable of more than one interpretation. l r or instance, Mr. Reardon may say suits went up .£1 simply because the journeymen received .Is. rise. The question is, is this what he means? Someone else may say the Is. rise had very little to do with the rise in the price; it is almost all due to the cost of material. Until Mr. Eeardou answers the questions 1 have asked him it would be hardly fair for me to make' any further comment. 1

Meantime, I can assure him, if his reply backs up the statements as originally made by tha Rev. Mr. Chapman, which are understood by the public to mean that the employers gain £1 for every shilling rise given the employees, 1 shall include him m the challenge mado to the Bev. Mr. Chapman.—l am, ete.j D. MILLIGAN, August i. \ P.S.—I note Mr. Eeardon says he will not require a "cleric" suit.