"AN INQUISITION."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 843, 15 June 1910, Page 6

"AN INQUISITION."

UNPOPULAR- CENSUS DEMANDS. The demands for information made by the Labour Department for the purposes of the census to be taken a year hence were referred to by the president of the Industrial. Association (Mr. 13. Bull) at \ the -meeting Vast evening. \ \ "Mr. TSuYt stated tliat the circular is-1 sued by the Department practically meant that a manufacturer who did not I take stock on certain dates would be* compelled tu do so on those dates to provide the information asked for. He did not think that it was a fair thing for the Department to throw this work on manufacturers. The census returns in the past had been on a very different scale, and should have been quite sufficient for all requirements. Ho thought that the Department was going altogether too far. .i!r.. Bull read some of thu very detailed requirements of tho circular. Ho stated that when the previous returns were asked for he had waited on the Registrar, Mr. Mansfield, and suggested that it would facilitate matters if the returns at tho balance of a concern nearest to the census date were taken, as was tho practice under tho Income Tax Act. Tho reply was that that would bo contrary to the law. He did not believe in publishing too much of one's business, 'i'ho information asked for should be tho private property of the manufacturer. Tho Department said that the information would be treated as confidential, and that it would be impossible to pick out the figures for any individual business from ' tho returns, but' he believed that the Em--1 ployers' Association were moving in tho ' matter, and it would bo as well for tho J Industrial Association to co-operato with them. ' Mr. T. Ballinger explained that tho 1 secretary of tho Employers' Federation. ' had waited on the Under-Secretary for ! Labour in the matter. Ho moved that ' the president, vice-presidents, and secretary of tho association should form a committee to interview the Employers' : Federation and afterwards approach the ; Minister for Labour. Tho Department ! was asking for a lot of information. - which it would be very difficult 'to supply—information requiring the dissection of raw. material and the ascertaining of what goods were made in New Zealand, and what imported. The demands might, be good for. the unemployed, sinco a few more clerks would have to bo engaged. Mr. Newton: It's an inquisition. Tho president: You can almost call it un inquisition. Mr. Newton: A Grand Inquisition, too. The president: I wouldn't like to work out my share of the information in a week. The motion was agreed'to unanimously.