FLAX MILL WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1591, 7 November 1912, Page 9

FLAX MILL WORKERS.

HOUSING CONDITIONS* AND SANITATION. ' . AN OFFICIAL REPORT, A report by Dr. H, Chfesson- (District Health Officer) mid J| r . T). Cniniody (Inspector of I'nolorics) on accoinmodiitloti ' and snnilntion nt Ilnxmilk iu Uio-Jlann-watn nml Hovowhchito. counties was laid on the tabic of'tho House of Ilcprp.-cnta- : lives yestwday by the Jlinistcr for.Piiljlic HcitlHi. Tlte report slates that Utirtylivo nulls, three eulters' cninps, and two nrmito camps, ivcro visited. I'ouv wills lvero not visited un account of bail weather molting access thereto practically impossible, 'flie officers were uccoinpaiueil on lltoiv iiisncction by Mr. Dfoiul (representing t'ho FlaxittilleVs' Assootatlon) and Mr. Stone (president nf the. I'iinpleyee.s' tlnioh). Every facility, it is stated, was given by the owners to niako a thorough inspection- of tile mills, and information was in all cases freely tender, ed. 'Tlio general impression" conveyed was that the'owners were in, priuilicaUy AH instances prepared to do anything withm reason that was considered needssnty for the provision of proper aceommoclati.on nndismiitatioii at: the millK,"' tlio officers state, "and it sooms only necessary that -some uniform standard should be adopted for t'liem to follow-.'- . Accommodation. Tho report goes oh to state that at inost of the mills- accommodation ivus not satisfactory, but- that it is only fair to point out flint Hie men themselves htul not taken any -steps lo improve that which, was provided, or even to keep it clean, and there wns no doubt that a great deal of the -accommodation could bo made' babitablo if t.ho men would onlytake a little pains to do so.- Only a small percentage of tlio men appeared to ■take an interest hi endeavouring to keep their quarters cleali and tidy, and to make themselves ,ns .'comfortable as the lAeans at their disposal would permit. The majority did not even provide, themselves with blankets, Diut Used Old sacking or bules, often in a deplorably dirty condition. The -officers -remark that at v the Mirinui mill tho contrast betweeTi the sthtctiu'al character of the men's quarters, ns provided by tbe owners, and the manner in whiclv it was used by .the men,'' was marked. In cases where tlfe iiien had- voluntarily elected to provide accommodation .for themselves, this was, w ; itb very few exceptions, no better than the worst provided for thcin by the owners anywhere. "On the completion of the tour of inspeetion," the report stales, "Sir. Stone . , felt compelled,to acknowledge how much the men were to blaiiio for the unsatisfactory condition of their quarters and what a great 'eye-opener'' the investigation had been to him." The permanent wood and iron buildings which --most of the mills possess, it is •stated, could generally, speaking* be made quite comfortable with slight structural. alterations. ! The air-space in most of the buildings I'visited was far in excess of the minimum of 2-lfl cubic feet laid down by the Shearei's'- nnd Agricultural labourers''. Accommodation Act, but the officers state that this standard is far too low and should bo at least doubled. Windows in the buildings visited were small and badly placed and were generally .'found closed. All the so-called tents On flax-millsi the report continues; are. erected.. on. wooden frames and are covered with mberoid or sacking. .They thus become huts of an unhealthy type and it is rceommeiided that their use should be prohibited. The use 0f,.-bona-f'de. tents might be.permitted for limited. On spine mills an iron building is provided with.a large open fift-plaee at one end far the -purpose of drying clothes when.the men.get wet .while at-work. The tifficefe-recom-mend that similar provision should be . mado at all mills. ■ Wafer Supply. llost.of the mills, it. i<s stated, have, a, fairly good 'water supply from artesian botes,' wells, and tanks, but seven obtain, water from the Oroim'and ifanawatu Rivers, a supply liable to serious contamination. Catering. In ail the mills visited, .the- report ■ states, the food appears to be of good quality and Well cooked, and the diningroonls, with a very few- exceptions, were well-kept, clean, airy, and.tidy. In. some cases better provision could be made for tho keeping of, stores, and in. two instances stores were, actually kept in the cooks' sleeping apartments. •-'■ Drainage and Plumbing. Drainage and plumbing, with a few exceptions, have been quite neglected. No baths are provided at any of the mills, and i{ is f eeommeiided that shower baths with hot and cold' Water laid on, should be provided' at every mill, lavatory . basins should also be provided. In reference to cutters' camp's, or mills .working on the royalty system, it is. suggested that the actual owner, and not' the miller, should be made responsible for providing accommodation! '. Recommendations, The repprt concludes with a series of rocohiineiulatiOns. At least 400 cubic feet of air-space and, Jifcferably 500 i'eet per man, should be and; 45 square feet of floor space ,IA vefy few cases was the existing- jiecbmmodation found to. bo below these stondai'ds. Wih' dows with iiiovabie sashes and glazed attfts equalling one-tenth of the floor-, space are recommended. In all cases the water supply which can lie flbtaiiie'd from artesian bores or from raiii-water. tanks, should be approved by the District Health Officer.. - Other' recommeridations are that .sufficient .privy anil urinal accommodation,- drainage and. .plhrnbirig, drying-rooms,, and baths-should be vided, Eegulations should also be framed to compel the men to. keep their quarters clean. It Is suggested that future awards should include a clause making it ft condition that men must keep their quarters clean and scrub-".the floors with soap and wafer once a week, aM-always 1 before- leaving the jou. . It is . recommended as eminently desirable that the; officers of the Xaboiir Department.Should work in. conjunction with the."District ' Health Officer in all matters relating to sanitation,' ineludijig' veii'tilatibii, Irghti.hsi, or water Supply, or anything affecting the health of the persons employed..