FARM LABOURERS' QUARTERS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1426, 29 April 1912, Page 6

FARM LABOURERS' QUARTERS

COMPLAINT TO MINISTER. '■ (By Telegraph-Preps Association.) Christchurch, April 38. Fresh from a tour of some of the North Island districts, the Hon. G. Laurcnson. arrived in f'hrislchurch this morning. In the course of an interview Mr. Lauronsnn said that he had been struck with thn strong feeling that, existed in favour of the idea that the present Administration should l)o given an opportunity to .'how what, was in them. Thp mass of the people did not want io see any changes of Government or any "fireworks" policy, but. they did wish to see steady progressive legislation and clean administration. They wanted to see that the men connected with the Administration put all their energy into their work, nud make the Department* under them a success. A deputation consisting of Messrs. E. Kennedy (secretary of the Agricultural Labourers' Union). Mr. M. Laracy, and others waited on the Hon. G. Laurenson yesterday, and complained of the accommodation supplied for workers on farms in Canterbury. [ Mr. Kennedy said that no attempt had i been made to put the Act into operation. He had received hundred? of letters stnting that the men were afraid to make complaints. The union would like to 1 have authority given to its. secretary to go on farm premises and inspect them, and something ought to be done at once, ' The accommodation was bad—that was all about it. Mr. Laracy slid that the mistake made ; was the refii-al of the Arbitration Court' to make an award in the f:\rm labourers' ! dispute, because the union then went, to ' pieces. A body of men who were strong i enough to have an Act placed on the Statute Ilook should bo stroni enough to sea that it was put into operation. The farm , labourers themselves were largely to blame —they ought to organise- It was absolute- , ly necessary to give authority to the ' union secretary to inspect premises, and, ' if that was done, there would be noneees- ' sity for the army of inspectors which Mr. ' Millar had apparently dreaded. The Minister said that, en the previous ! day, ho had had a deputation from thfi ; IlaVimll workers in the Manawatii. nnd ; thev had made practically the fame re- ■ que<t. They showed that they had io ' work under very unhealthy condition*, and he had a great deal of sympathy with them. Instructions had been given that, where complaints were made, action I should lie taken. There was no doubt that the regulations under tho Act, ought, to ; be enforced, lint the difficulty was to premiv regulations that would suit the mass of those affected. Obviously it would be ' a verv risky thing to allow a man over ' whom" tho Government had no control to go to a person's books and ascertain h"w much lie was receiving and paying. Hβ would sec. in the course of the next wcok, what stops could Im> taken to have regulations framed under the new Act.