FLAXMILL WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1821, 6 August 1913, Page 3

FLAXMILL WORKERS.

NEW REGULATIONS.

LAX ENFORCEMENT ALLEGED.

1 SPECIAL INSPECTOR PROMISED.

Complaint regarding an alleged failuro on this- part of tha Government to cn--I'orco tho recently gazetted regulations relating to the housing accommodation and living conditions of flax-mill workers was made by a deputation representing the Manawatu I'fax-mili Employees' Union which interviewed the Uou. W. P. Masse'y yesterday in his capacity as Minister for Labour. The deputation consisted of Messrs. W. Parry (organiser), G. Stovo (president), aml-J. 1!. Brown. It was introduced by Mr. W. A. Vcitch, M.P., aud was accompanied by Messrs, L. M. Isitt, M.P., G. Laureuson, M.P., and P. C. 'Webb, M.P, and Mr. P. W. ltowley, of the Labour Department, was present. Mr. Stove said that they desired to protest against the manner in which inspection of fLox-lnills in the Manawatu was at present curried out. The mills had been twico inspected by Departmental officials, but in neither case was the report made public. Regulations had been gazetted, but the union did not consider them, satisfactory. Enforcement of tho regulations was vested in an inspector. The union bod offered to send its secretary round the mills with this official, but the offer had been refused. At Foxton, Shannon, and other places policemen had been appointed as inspectors. Tho union objected to this aud contended that it should bo allowed to send a representative round with the inspector when he visited' the mills. Thqy asked that an inspector should be appointed, ob under the Scaffolding Act, for the wholo of the North Island. One inspector niiilit not be sufficient, but what had been done was to appoint (as inspector) the inspector of awards at Palmerston North, who was already fully employed. •' Alterations Desired. Proceeding," Air. Stove rend the regulations seriatim pointing out the .particulars in which the union desired alterations. They wis'hed in the first place that one inspector should exercise general control so that a consistent interpretation of tho regulations might be secured. Some of tho definitions were very vague. A number of mill-owners held, for instance, tliat two picces of wood with wire-nettin* nailed across constituted a spring mattress. Chaff and straw mattresses were unsatisfactory and should bo prohibited. So far, only one miller had applied for the right to establish temporary; accommodation. Despite the fact that a case of typhoid had occurred, the same water sunply as had been complained of, was still in use, workers who. objected to these conditions being deterred from making complaint lest they should lose their job's. On July -t tho secretary of the union wrote appealing that, tho regulations'should bo enforced. The reply from the Department was "practically - a reprimand for their desire to have these humane regulations enforced." Tliey desired that an inspector should at once visit tho Moutou district to determine what should be permitted in tho way of temporary accommodation. More About Inspectors. Mr. Parry said that tho present inspection was unsatisfactory, because ■ the union was not allowed to send a representative with the inspector. The decision of tho inspection was final, and tho union therefore felt that they should bo represented w'hen the decision was made. Too much power was vested in the inspector. They considered that they should havo some power similar, to that conferred under the.Mining Act, to appoint a check inspector. This would be more satisfactory to all concerned. At some mills there had betjn a breach of tho provisions relating to boarding. The iiaxmillers' award provided that men should bo provided with board and lodging for 15s. a week, but a. clause ;in tha regulations provided that wkero a boatdinglioUse existed within a mile, the owner of a, flaxmill need not provide accommodation for his workers Somo employers had availed 'themselves of this, provision by converting tho cauip cook-house into a boardinghouse, demanding lGs.-Gd. a .week, instead of 155., from Hheir w'orkers, and telling them that if they did not like it they could go. Conditions at some of the mills he had visited were simply deplorable. All they asked was that tho Government should niake and enforce such regulations as would ensure decent living conditions. Ono thing they deaired was that a man should bo employed to look after the accommodation used by the workers. Mr. Parry stated that men-who had taken up a strong stand in regard to tho enforcement of the regulations had been so victimised that they were compelled to leave their employment. The workers did not mean to stand this—they would not tolerate such tactics. ' No law - would effectually provent all victimisation. The men wero up in arms in that district. They were not out for trouble, but they were being forced into tho position that in order to obtain relief they would have to make a collective stand - against victimisation. "Shocking Conditions." Mr. Brown said that they had not come there in any hostile or antagonistic attitude. This was either the fourth or fifth deputation which had waited upon tho Government of tho day regarding the' shocking conditions that obtained in the Manawatu. He objected strongly to tho additional boafdiug charge of Is. 6d. per week, which had Uecn imposed by somo mill-owners. Mr. Vcitch said that they must all agrco that tho deputation had made out a strong case, and disclosed an unsatisfactory state of, affairs.. The conditions complained cf had existed for a long timo in th€ ilaxmilling industry, and, he believed, existed in some other industries as well. Ho was convinced that the regulations should be amended in detail. The.boardiughouse clause should be, cut out, or, in the alternative, the same conditions as to .sanitation, etc., should apply to boardinghouses as to accommodation on the mills. Tli© regulations as they stood might ba sufficient in the case of conscientious employers, but they were not sufficient in the case of employers who wero not conscientious. He urged that union officers should be given power to accompany tho inspector oil his rounds. Ilr. Stone said that tho union desired that ■ any check-inspectors it appointed should be given a right of access. Otherwise they would be debarred from some mills altogether. MR. MASSEY IN REPLY. CASE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. The Prime Minister, in replying, said that at about- this timo last year, complaints wero niado about the state of affairs at flaxmills in the Jlanawatu district. The Labour Department arranged with tho Health Department for an. inspection of the wholo of the flaxmills in t'iie district. As a .result, the Shearers' and Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Act was passed last session, with special reference to flaxmill accommodation. Regulations in connection with. the. Act were framed during-, the -autumn, which, he understood,- was a slack jeaeon for the flaxmills. lie, instructed the' Department lo have the regulations ready, by the 1 time that the flaxmills got into, full swing again. There had been delay chiefly bccause many communications hail passed between the Department, and employers and employees in order to get regulations likely lo give general satisfaction. Also, an attempt had been made to include agricultural labourers under the simo regulations, but eventually it was found necessary to frame a special set of regulations.for, the, benefit of these workers. ' The regulations, lie contended, were a tremendous improvement of anything that had previously existed either in the way of legislation or regulation. It seemed to him that there was nothing much, wrong with the regulations, though there might be something wrong w : th their administration. A few days previously ho had obtained a roport from the Labour Department on this subject. The report, stated that, within a fetv days of the regulation's being gazetted, a circular letter was scut to all the Laj bour Depai'tmenffinspectivs aslr.ni,' tiitm to inspect and report nn-n the flaxI mills, if possible bot'nro Um and of the,

month. The Secretary for Labour slated iu the report that lie knew Mrs t • he impossible, but iio ii>ued t.ie in.-'ruction from a desire to impress upon his officers the urgency of the matter. The Palmerston inspector reported, after conferring with the architect who was dj'ng most of the work in connection wit'.') the erection of new building, tha' at one mill, where u case of typhoid had once occurred, six carpenters worn at wort, and tlint similar activities vrero proceeding elsewhere. The report further stated that an agreement had been come to with the workers and employers regardins temporary accommodation, and that the Department was doing cvtrytiiijig it could to remedy matters. The deputntionist, said Mr. Massey, had put tho position from one pohr. o\ view, ami Hie Department !iu! put it from another, and he had to l;o girded bv both statements. The principal complaint against the regulations was that they wero not properly administered. When tho regulations were gazetted, or just about that time, tho Labour I'epartment complained to him that it was impossible for its inspectois ; o do I lie wlwlo of tho work in connection with the regulations. He authorised an cxpendr'ture of ,£GOO or .£7OO on' motor cycles, to that, as the Department said, one man might do the work of two. 'The Department had not been idle. A Special Inspector. "I am going to arrange," the Prime Minister continued, "for a special inspector, who will have nothing else to do but look after flaxmill workers in the Manawatu, and I shall got a report from him once a month as to how things are going. As far as I am concerned, the regulations are going to be administered, and if tho people up there who are engaged in tho flaxmill industry do not comply with the regulations tliey will have to tako the consequences. Mr. Brown asked whether the Prime Minister's promise would bo giTen effect ■to immediately. Mr. Massey: Certainly. Mr. Veilch thanked the Prime Minister for receiving the deputation.