The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1888. THE RAGE FOR CHEAPNESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1809, 30 October 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1888. THE RAGE FOR CHEAPNESS.

Foe several years we have frequently called attention to the present ragefor cheapness and its consequent evil effects. We find now that others have taken the; matter in hand, and that inquiries have led to the discovery that the “sweating system,” as it is called, exists in this colony just as bad as it exists in the Old Country. In Dunedin it was discovered that one poor unfortunate woman was trying to support an unemployed husband and children on her earnings, which amounted to fourpence per day. Such sensational news as this led to inquiries being made in Christchurch and Auckland, with the result thatithas been discovered that cheaply as certain things are done in England under the “ sweating system ” the same things are done in these cities still lower. This is really a shocking state of affairs, and ought to be sufficient to excite not only the sympothy but the indignation of every honest man and woman in the colony. This is the result of competition. For the population, too many people are engaged in shopkeeping; these are competing too keenly with each other, and to be successful they know they must sell cheap. That they cannot do, unless they get the goods cheap, and in order to produce cheap goods they must employ cheap labor. It is no use to moralise on the iniquities of the system. Neither will anything be done by exposing it in newspapers. If the people object to this sort of a thing they must give their objection a practical turn by invoking the powers of legislative enactments to remedy the evil. It is no use to decry the rage for cheapness; it is no use to urge upon employers the justice of paying better prices. Before any change could be effected by what humbugs call moral suasion, human nature would require to be remodelled. All the moral suasion in the world would not induce peeple to give up buying goods as cheaply as possible; nor would it prevent “ cutting ” shopkeepers from reducing the price of labor down to the lowest possible level. There is nothing can be done to remedy this shameful evil except one thing. Atone time in the history of England the prices of certain articles were fixed by law, and so was the remuneration for making them. To go back to such a system again will doubtless be regarded as retrogressive, and denounced as unjustifiable interference with the liberty of the subject. We know all this, yet, despite the fact that we know that it is unpopular to suggest anything which interferes with the liberty of the subject, we say, unhesitatingly, that nothing will remedy the evil except a law which will insist on employers paying fair prices for work done. The employers are not to blame for existing conditions, their customers are not to blame, and the poor wretches who waste their lives in doing work under the sweating system cannot possibly help themselves. It is our rotten system of doing business which is to blame, and it is that which must be attacked if a remedy is to be found for this crying evil. First let us take the employer or shopkeeper, who has such work as shirts or trousers to finish. It is the very first principle of good business that he should get these done as cheaply as possible so that he may sell them cheaply to his customers, and secure their trade, If he does not observe this principle the result will be that his business opponent, who gets his goods made cheaply, will be able to undersell him, and take his trade away. Take, for instance, two shopkeepers: one gets his shirts finished at the Dunedin sweating price, eightpence per dozen; the other pays a reasonable price of four shillings per fiosen for doing the work. What must fie the result F Of course the “ sweater ” cap sell shirts much cheaper than than the man yho pays legitimate wages, and consequently must command the customers. It is no use to try the influence of moral

suasion on tbe person who wants a shirt. It is no use to tell him that the cheap man is defrauding poor wretched creatures of the fruits of their labor; it is no use to urge upon him that wrong doing of this kind cries to Heaven for vengeance. It is no affair of his: he wants a shirt, and his business is to buy it in the cheapest market. It is clear, therefore, that if one of the shopkeepers pay only “ sweating ” prices, the other must do the same, and, this being so, what is to be done ? One will say “ the people ought not to work at sweating prices.” That is all very fine. When poor creatures are hungry, and have little children crying for food about them, they are nol in a position to refuse work at any price. They are glad enough to get the wherewithal to buy even a crust Another will say “They ought to leave the town and go out into the country.” Where is the room for them in the country ? Are there not more people people in the country at present than can find employment? Is not the country swarming with swaggers ? What then can be done ? Nothing except one thing, and that is, the law must step in and appoint inspectors of such work, who will have power to fix uniform prices for such work, so that one shopkeeper cannot get it done cheaper than another, and all will be put on equal terms. We regulate employment in factories by law, and there is no reason why the same thing should not be done as regards the sweating system. It is a shame and a disgrace to our civilisation, that in a young country like this poor creatures should be reduced to such misery, and for decency’s sake the sooner we set about redressing such crying wrongs the better.