I.—lo

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8. Mr. Arnold.] Do you know anything about the wages paid in Auckland per week ?—All I know is from their own log. Occasionally we have had girls who had been working in Auckland come to Wellington, and on one or two occasions I have endeavoured to find out what wage they could make in Auckland; but I was not able to gather any evidence to the effect that they were getting the maximum wage. 9. Did these girls tell you anything as regards the method of working?— Yes. 10. They work under a different system, do they not?— Yes. We have not been free to adopt these methods, although we know about them. 11. They have more advanced methods in Auckland, have they not?— They have a greater division of labour—more of a " team " system, I take it to be. I should not like to be tied to the Auckland method. It is a trade that you may see your way to improve. There should be freedom of method in order to suit the small manufacturer as well as the large manufacturer. We want labour legislation to provide freedom so that manufacturers if they choose will not be hampered. 12. In consequence of the method is it not a fact that in Auckland girls can earn as much money as those in the South on a lower log? —I cannot say. lam not aware, as a matter of common business, that a manufacturer adopts a new and labour-saving method to ostensibly benefit his workers ; he does it to benefit himself. 13. As far as you know, then, the girls in Auckland do not earn so much?— That is my opinion. I may say I have spoken to one or two men who have been employed as cutters in Auckland, and they seem to bear out the same view. I had a man who used to be in Archibald Clarke's factory. He was the first to let me know that there they worked forty-eight hours as against our forty-five. Similarly, on visiting the Kaiapoi factory, I was told by another man who came from Auckland that £1 was nearer the top wage than £1 ss. £1 ss. is the top wage under our log, but to a special hand I pay £1 10s. a week. I pay £1 10s. a week to a girl if I find she is worth it. If her work suits me and my customers, of course it pays me to keep her and pay her this wage. 14. Mr. Arnold.] You are of opinion that the whole matter would be safe in the hands of the Court of Arbitration, then ? —Yes, I think so. 15. You think justice would be done to the whole colony?— Yes, I do not doubt it for a moment. I think we have reason to have confidence in the Arbitration Court. 16. Mr. Tanner.] Is the minimum wage stipulated for in your log £1 ss.? —No ; that is the maximum wage for a first-class hand, or machinist—a time hand. 17. That is the highest rate the log stipulates for ?—Yes. 18. You do not regard yourself as absolutely tied to that in the case of a skilled worker whom you wish to retain ?—Oh, no; if I wish to keep that worker as an example to the others, it is worth my while to pay an additional ss. a week and keep her. 19. Do you think it has any tendency to breed discontent at all among other hands ?— No, not at all. I can get along with my workers very comfortably. A girl who is a good worker has special opportunities for acquiring a good knowledge of various things in the trade. 20. And so she gets exceptional wages ?—Yes. 21. Mr. Bollard.] I should like to ask you if you have taken into consideration the lighter class of goods manufactured in Auckland, and in consequence of a different award to any other part of the colony, what effect it would have upon workers ? —I know there is a lighter class of work turned out in Auckland. In regard to certain coats, our log provides for a higher rate than Auckland would pay. 22. Are you aware that the workers in Auckland are earning the same as in other parts of the colony ?—No, lam not aware of that. lam giving you the information I have been able to gather —that it is not so. Of course I could not go to a manufacturer in Auckland and ask him to show me his books. 23. Can you account for the fact that the southern-manufactured article is sold cheaper in Auckland than the Auckland-manufactured article ?—I was not aware of the fact, because I do not know that much of the southern clothing goes there. The Kaiapoi, for instance, might do a certain line cheaper. There is a vast difference in the quality of tweeds—for example, you cannot compare the Onehunga-manufactured article with the Wellington article. I should say that the Kaiapoi have a margin of profit on their tweeds. A factory like the Kaiapoi can afford to cut at one point or another and still have a profit that one cannot see. Ido know that the Auckland stuff is selling here. It comes into competition here, and at cheaper prices. 24. But the same thing applies to Auckland, does it not? —I do not see any Wellington work selling in Auckland. Probably the Wellington Woollen Company sell a little there. They have been sending some lines to be made up there. They must fill in time with slop work. I should like to say that the Auckland trade a little while ago was largely shirt-making. Trouser-makers receive a small advance on shirt-makers' wages, but it is a considerable reduction on tailoresses' wages, though after a year's experience these same hands can be trained to do a much better class of work. My experience goes to show that this has been so in every line. I see shirt-makers here beginning in a similar way ; I see evidence of a similar state of things gradually creeping in here. Shirt-makers get simple lines to make up at a cheaper price than we could make them for the warehouses. It is customary to work up these girls to do the highest class of work. That is all I have to say, sir. John Manneks Morean in attendance and examined. (No. 8.) 1. The Chairman.] What is your name ? —John Manners Morran. 2. You represent the Auckland Clothing Manufacturers' Association, do you not?— Yes, 3. You desire to give evidence on this Bill?— Yes.