THE FURNITURE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 160, 2 April 1921, Page 9

THE FURNITURE TRADE

DANGER OF CHINESE COMPETITION restrictive legislation SUGGESTED When the employers in the New Zealand furniture trade met in conference recently reference- was made to the dancer of competition from Chinese furniture manufacturers. Although no representations were made to the New Zealand Federated Furniture Trades Association on the point, that, body resolved to prosecute inquiries on its own account as to whether Chinese were entering into the furniture manufacturing business in the Dominion.

The secretary of the association (Mr. D. Kennedy) recently wrote to the Auckland union, as well as to Sydney and Melbourne, to ascertain the number of Chinese who were working in the trade in thoeo places, and what steps were being taken to combat any such Asiatic activity. This week n reply was received from Auckland, stating that a total nt nine Chinese were now engaged in cabinetmaking there. The secretary of the Auckland union stated that tho members of his union viewed tho situation with n good deni of alarm, but he mentioned incidentally that trade was nutet and Chat a number of men were idle. In the course of his reply, the secretary of the New South Wales branch of - the Federated Furnishing Trade Society of Australasia. wrote:. "Industrially, the Chinese, onoe a great menace to us. have decreased, and are now comparatively under control. Their declining numbers, however, is the most satisfactory feature of the position, but while they continue to exist they constitute a potential danger. We have sought, for years to have the branding of furniture made compulsory, but without success. In Queensland, West Australia, and Victoria the (branding of Chinese furniture is compulsory.” . . *• In December last a combined meeting of employers and employees in the furniture trade was held in .Auckland to discuss the question of Chinese competition, and a resolution was carried urging that in future the education test for Asiatics shfiuld be based on the require'riients of the sixth standard certificate for New Zealand public schools. It was also decided that members of Parliament and federations of employers and employees bo requested to support the raising of the education test for Asiatic-, end that in view of the number of returned soldier trainees absorbed by the furniture trade, the assistance of the Repatriation Department be “ ® meeting also resolved to approach the Sawmillers' Association to stop the supply of timber to Chinese. , . , As far as can be ascertained, no Chinese cabinetmakers arc workuig n> Wellington, bitt it is said that a Chinaman has been investigating the Po® 51 '^ 1 - ny Of securing a suitable building for the purpose of converting it into a fu - nl Mr,°Kennedy informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that furniture nm-nufac-buyers in. Wellington had s !^ lfl ® d willingness to co-operate with the. erated Furniture Tr ‘‘ ld f s . 4 s f. Jolatl n °” rja the direction of having ‘to restricting the operations of Chinese u flw hlin New Zealand. By, working oTfuniSure' cheap-. ?v, and'it- was thought that the menace of this cheap competition cou d ° c moved bv limiting the hours of overtime which Chinese might d-ork.