VICTORIA LAUNDRY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 43, 15 November 1926, Page 10

VICTORIA LAUNDRY

BUILT UP ON CO-OPERATION If there was more real co-operation between employer and employees, most, if not all, of the existing labour troubles in this Dominion would come to nn end was the considered opinion expressed by Mr.'Wheeler, of Messrs, Watkins, Hull, Hunt, and Wheeler, at a function held on Saturday evening. The statement followed a short speech made by one or the senior employees of the Victoria Laundry Company, who stated that each and every one of the company s three hundred employees deemed it a point of honour to do their best for thecompany because it had been fem? that the directors and management did their best for them. “We are not so conscious of being servants of the company,” said the speaker “as we are of the sincere friendship which exists between us, a friendship which makes all of us feel we belong to one family, therefore we never let one another Victoria Laundry Company has recently enlarged its factory by tie erection of a new building, upon the three acres owned by it in Hanson Street. It is claimed that throughout Australasia there is not any laundry which compares with the Victoria for size, equipment, and. convenience of working. To celebrate the opening of the new premises the directors of the company entertained on Saturday the members of the staff and their friends at a banquet, which was followed by a dance. The managing director, Mr. Walter Naismith, in opening the proceedings, referred to the early days when the foundations of the present business had been well and truly laid by those who controlled the two small laundries in Wellington, which had been purchased bv the present company,, end from which the huge business now conducted in Hanson Street had grown. _ The growth was made impressive by figures such as the daily, necessity .for seventeen motor-vans to deliver the wo now done, as against the one bandcart which was found more than sufficient some years ago. “Eighty co Ears used to be a good week’s average,” said the sneaker, “but now when we wash and llunder only 20,000 in the one week we wonder if men are ceasing to..wear starched collars.” ■ “The enormous growth, said jsir. Naismith, “is not due to any one man, but to the loval help given to the company bv every-person employed bv it and' the total absence of labour. strife 'and discontent This also enables the laundry to do what no other laundry in Australasia, the. United States or the United Kingdom does, and that is to return- to- its customers on the same day as. it is received all. work winch is entrusted to it.” . As evidence of the appreciation of the direcorate,' valuable presentations were made to Misses Franklin...and Underwood,- Mesdames Lawton and Harrington, and Messrs. Flanagan, Green, Stewart, Moore, Kerr, and Heppelstone. Some of these employees had been in the service'of the company for thirty years. Gifts were also made to Messrs. Martin, and to Messrs. Jones and Cameron (architects .and builders.of the new premises). .. : In returning thanks on behalf of those who received the presents, Mr. Flanagan stated the company, deserved success, and got it by reason of the existing relationships between all connected with it. Every ■ employee knew that in the managing director or lijs wife, he or she had a firm friend. ■ The function, which -was a thoroughly enjoyable one, -was brought to n close at midnight.