Among those present were several of the firm's sub-contractors and travellers.
The marvellous growth of the firm and its progressive methods were illustrated by Mr Fletcher in the course of an interesting address to his employees.
In opening his remarks, Mr Fletcher stated that in these days of industrial unrest, it was being impressed on the employing class as well as those employed that the time had gone when the employer could cut himself adrift from the employee or the employee could cut himself adrift from the employer.
Both sections realised more and more that to be successful the interests of the employer and the employee must be one.
The present gathering marked another milestone in the history of Fletcher Bros. (Ltd). It was exactly 10 years in June last since they started business in New Zealand.
In that time they had built up a concern in the building trade the like of which had never been in New Zealand before, and the success attained was attributable almost wholly to the relations which had existed between the employers and the employees of the firm.
War relics for museum
The war relics collected on French battlefields by Mr George Fenwick and recently presented to the Otago University Museum have now been set out in the section devoted to the war.
The collection includes two German anti-gas masks; German and British anti-shrapnel helmets; a German service belt with the inscription ''Gott mit uns''; a German knapsack, bayonet, and water-bottle; fragments of shells of various types; and pieces of an aeroplane which, judging from the fragments of shrapnel still embedded, must have been brought down by gunfire.
Most of these relics have a special interest to New Zealanders, as they were collected from battlefields on which our division had fought only a few hours before.
This is witnessed by the locality names on the cards - Bapaume, Havrincourt, Bertincourt. An American shell-case from Chateau Thierry recalls the fine advance of the Americans about that town.
Uncertificated teachers
There are 662 sole teacher schools in New Zealand, and of these no fewer than 525 are in charge of uncertificated teachers. The Hon. D.T. Fleming stated to the Education Board yesterday that these figures had come before the Council of Education in Wellington last month, and the council was strongly in favour of increasing the salaries at single-teacher schools.
The object in view was to attract to these country schools more highly qualified teachers and make the uncertificated teachers find their way to larger schools, where they would have the advantage of working under experienced head masters.
- ODT, 18.7.1919
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