THE SESSION OF 1907.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 56, 29 November 1907, Page 7

THE SESSION OF 1907.

SOME OF THE NEW LAWS. Below arc given the salient points of a further selection of the Acts which were placed on the Statute Isook during the late session. Two Acts which have not yet become lnw, as tho ]!oyal assent has to. he first obtained, are also dealt with. LA HOUR IN FACTORIES.. ' Tho Factories Act Amendment Act is chiefly concerned' with meal hours, half-holi-days ami wages.. The clauses relating to Chinese laundries wero struck out during the last day of the session. Gas.works,-and places.where elcctricpower is .generated for sale are brought under tho Factories Acts. ' '• • Fruit canning and jam factories are allowed a relaxation of the law as to overtime during the busy season. Women and boys employed in factories must, not take , their meals 'in workrooms without tho permission of an inspector, and this can only be given when the number does not exceed six; • • : Anyone who employs more than six women and boys in a factory must provide a furnished room exclusively for their meals. A referendum of tho electors may be taken in country towns to docido wliether tho half-holiday for factories shall ho taken on the same day as the ■ statutory hajf-lioliday for shops and offices. • . V^ Tho minimum wage for all factory workers is os! a week for the first year, Bs.' for the second year, 11s. for the.third year, and so on by increases of 3s. a week for each year of employment in the same trade, until '20s. is reached. ' ■ : This allows for a considerable reduction in the case, of beginners who are over 20 years of age. Their minimum sinco 1905 has been 17s. for tho first year, and 20s. thereafter. On' ■ tho other hand, employers will apparently find their wages hill increased by tho substitution of fixed wages for fixed rates of wages. KEEPING OUT THE CHINESE. One popular' piece of legislation will be tho Amendment to tho Chinese Immigrants Act, 1881, by which an effectual restraint will be 'put upon Chinese immigration. In addition to paying the poll-tax of £100, each Chinaman or woman will now be required to pass a reading test of not less than 100 words of English. . Right of. appeal to a magistrate is given, but the latter's decision is to be final. •■ An accredited minister of the Christian religion is exempted. ' i ... This Act is yet to receive tho-assent of His Majesty. t$ •■•.<.• • ... GAMING AND LOTTERIES. Discussion on this Act has been too..re-,, cent and too full to require the submission of full details as to its Only' a'- few of the main features need be recapitulated;- • The new Act prohibits any agent acting asagent for Tattersall's sweeps. Gaining is prohibited "within view of persons in a public place." It is an olFcnce to bo connected with anygaming house, or to wilfully rent or allow.tho uso of promises for gaming purposes. Persons convicted under these provisions have not tho option of trial by jury. Unchartcred clubs can be deemed common , gaming bouses. The Supremo Court may declaro premises to bo a common gaming house (or a means of access or escape thereto or therefrom). These premises aro then "quarantined".and romain so until tho declaration is rescinded. Special powers aro given to constables to force an entry into suspected promises. . It js an offence to obstruct or givo .warning of tho approach of a constable. ■ ,; Tho' , law against street betting■ is ! made more stringent, and an accused has- no. right to. trial .by jury. .4. ... Hotting is prohibited at bicycle races, foot l'aces, swimming races, cricket, football, or boxing matches, billiard matches, and athletic, games or exercise. . : Money given to a bookmaer for betting purposes, except on a racecourse, is recoverable at law. ' An' -officer of ! a racing club must , n6t ! 'ac- r copt investments on the totiilisator by-tele-graph or telephone. No betting telegrams are. to be delivered at racecourses. Publication in any form of. notification as to betting , on any horse race to be run within or beyond the Dominion is prohibited in New Zealand papers. ; .... Publicatjon of "tips" is prohibited,. Publication or display of totalisator dividends, starting prie'es, or any statement'f torn' which these may be calculated, Is-prohibitod". Tho "double-tote" is prohibited. No totalisator investments may bo received aftor tho advertised timo of starting any race. Every racing club using the totiilisator "shall" license bookmakers, on payment- of a feo of not- more than £20 per, day, provided that the club is satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper person. ' Totalisator dividends must include • sixpences.. . : SHOPS AND OFFICES. • The half-holiday : question is further'dealt with iiv the Shops and Offices Act Amend' ment Act. . - ■ ■ ■ ...... Tho statutory closing day in any country towiij or in any of the four chief cities with their suburbs,; may bii determined by a "poll of the electors. " .■ .'■."...... Such poll must bo taken if one-tonth of the electors sign a requisition.to that offect.- '.•.-. At the poll any elector may vote for: , 'the appointment 'of. any day as the statutory closing day. . :.- ■ ,■■■." . Taking this Act with tho Factories ■ Act Amondniont Act...it is now possible, in any city or town, if the electors wish it, to have one general half-holiday every, week, instead of one for shops and offices and another for factories; but in the four cities this general half-holiday would have to bo on Saturday, wherea,s in the country towns it might be on any working day. • , ~ ." The Shops and Offices Act alsoSr, Makes the half-holiday in refreshment rooms begin at 2 o'clock- instead of 1 o'clock. Extends to florists the privilege of giving each of their assistants a half-holiday on any day of tho week, instead of closing , 'on tho statutory closing day;.. . Gives all assistants in hotels (instead of bar assistants only) a half-holiday once a ireck, but makes it begin.at 2.o'clock instead of 1 o'clock. ' ■. . . NEW DIVORCE LAWS. ( . With few.'exceptions both Houses of Parlianient wore agreed that amendment was re-quired-t6 tho cliyorco law. B3' the legislation of the late session if will no longer bo possible for. parties to a suit to obtain a dissolution of marriage by a failure on one side to comply within six months with an order of tho Court for the' restitution of conjugal rights. • The Act is not to be retrospective in regard to decrees for restitution mado before its coming into operation. ( Formerly a petitioner was able to obtain a divorce from a respondent who had been sentenced to seven years penal servitude for attempting the life of the petitioner. Now, to attempt the life or lives of any of their children is also a ground for diwueo. Incarceration in a lunatic asylum for a period ten years ,in the aggregate,'within a space of twelvo.years also entitles to a dissolution of marriage. This .bill has been reserved.for His Ma T jesty's assent.