1896.VICTORIA.
REPORT OF THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FACTORIES, WORK ROOMS AND SHOPS
FURNITURE TRADE AND CHINESE FACTORIES.
The furniture trade has suffered severely, not only on account of the general
depression, but also by reason of the competition of the Chinese workers. Only 663
persons, including 266 Chinese, were employed in the furniture factories last year.
These figures do not, moreover, give an accurate indication of the state of the cabinet
trade, as upholsterers and chair-makers are included, and Chinese do not interfere with
these trades. At the close of last year the actual number of persons engaged in
cabinetmaking was 338, viz., 97 Europeans and 241 Chinese.
The wages paid to European adults engaged in cabinetmaking average
£1 9s. 10d., and to Chinese £1 Is. 10d. Particulars will be found in Appendix B.
Most of the Chinese admit to working at least 60 hours per week, but the Europeans
only work 48 hours. When these facts are considered it is a matter for wonder that
any Europeans are engaged in the trade.
As stated last year the Chinese began by driving the majority of the European
workers out of the market. Having accomplished this they proceeded to carry on a
cutting down of price policy against one another. The result has been that many of
the better class Chinese manufacturers would welcome legislation which would
terminate a system of commercial warfare. Some of the proprietors of the larger
Chinese factories have proposed the imposition of a heavy annual licence-fee, with
the object of closing the smaller class of workshops and preventing the men working
in their own homes. In this, as in nearly all other trades, it is the small work-rooms
and home workers who are blamed for the cutting down of prices.
The mere stamping of furniture would do little to improve matters; my reason
for making this statement is that the general public does not appear to consider the
question of race or of injury done to the workers by purchasing the cheapest article.
A proof of this is given by the very large increase in Chinese laundries during the past
few years. This class of work was formerly done by widows with families to support.
It is essentially women's work. These facts are notorious ; yet in every suburb we
find Chinese laundries and the work given to Chinese men instead of to one of the
hardest working and most deserving class of women in the country. Many excellent
laundry women can now get very little work to do, whilst their Chinese competitors
are busy night and day.
the mere stamping of furniture would probably not therefore materially assist
the European workers, and nothing short of fixed hours of work for both Chinese and
Europeans could possibly put them on a fair footing. Even then the Chinese would
have a considerable advantage, as they seldom have either homes or families to keep,
and can live where Europeans would starve.
