DRAPERY PROFITS.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 September 1919, Page 5

DRAPERY PROFITS.

| ALLEGATIONS IN COURT, 1 SHOP ASSISTANTS’ CLAIMS? ,[ ‘CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 9. The prices charged by some retailers [for dupery were referred to in the r.\.rbl'tration Court to-day, when an aplplication was made by the Shop As—gsistants’ U: ion for the adding of ..he boot. hardware, and other shop assist, ants to a new award, and also various Jamendments in the present shop assist. ' ants ’ award. ! Mr R. D. Martin, for the Union, said ‘the 51ppliC«athQI1 was for an amendment 1 of the shop assistants’ award by taking :1‘: .-=J.l.lierl trades to drapery, which was t the one now covered by the award. The granting of such an application would ‘ lead to uuiform'ity_ One thing ‘that had i set up a spirit of dissatisfaction. among drapery employees was the gradual in- ! creases mnadc i.u the price of. materials, i while there was no propaortionate rise in ;wages. He knew of stuff which cost ’ 7;ld a yard, landed price, and was 5 first sold at 1/1:} a yard, and only'reieently the staff was set to work to ‘alter the price to 2/6 a yard. He was i also aware of an instance where a firm zh-ad a line of gloves for sale at 3/11 ‘to 4/11 and subsequently raised these Etc 12/(3 a pair. In one shop he had lavisited in the morning there was some ! material markedi at 9/6 a, yard, and on [going along in the afternoon the same U stuff was marked 19/6 «a yard. ‘ Mr Justice Stringer: You should bring these cases before the Board of Trade under the fair profit clause, which provides for a penalty. 1 Mr Martin said he thought that was I the Governmen.t’s duty, but he was iprcpared to give all the help he could. [Mr Martin continued that in. the light 3 of su.ch increases in the prices of goods sold, was it any wonder that the employees became dissatisfied‘? What. the shop assistant were entitled to was an increae of 50 per céifi in wages on the present award rates. The Government !S'tatistician’vs figures, he would like to ‘point out, were unsatisfactory in re;gard to some ‘details, -and especially in ‘ regard to rents. In the figures the renltal average in Christchurch 1"-or a five roomed house was put down at 15/6. ‘There was not :a land agent in Christfichurch but had assured him that he , could safely state’ to the Court that no ‘such place could be obtained for less than 25/, and in some cases much up more wins asked. The Statistician stated that in Christchurch a seven-noomed house cost 24/5 per week rent, but Mr lfartin mentioned that it was not pos sible to get a seven-roomed dwelling under 35/. , The Court re.sel'ved its decision.