JUDGE STRINGER'S STRICTURES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 26, 26 October 1920, Page 10

JUDGE STRINGER'S STRICTURES

Sir,—EreSs Association news of October 2 with reference to Arbitration Court stated that His Honour made severe comment on the Labour Department, etc. To any person who has studied the question which 'brought forth tli|!Se remarks from the learned Judge it reads as if the Arbitration- Court is being boomcrangcd. At different periods during the last Un years tho Court has been a6ked to bring "home-made cake shops" and tearooms employing pastrycooks or eakemnkerts under tho provisions of the award in their particular district, and their attention, as well as th ; a Labour Department's," has been drawn to the fact that these places are not registered factories under the Factories Act. The Factories Act reads: "A bakehouse is a place where food is prepared for sale or consumption by the- public." 'Die Arbitration Court lias repeatedly declined to bring these places under either of these conditions, and consequently these places, have teen "unregisterd factories" for years past. Now if a woman made n shirt at home and 'sold it through a shop it would be a serious offence —made in an unregistered factorv-but the Arbitration Court considers that the pastrycook should not have any protection, consequently I lie unregistered factories havia increased, and the position is this: that if a pastrycook" wishes to manufacture cakes he ha» to employ journeymen at award wages and work under factory conditions, whereas a home-made cake shop or tearoom's caa employ girls to Manufacture and work under the Shops and Oifi-'es Act which is not so rigid as thefactories 'let. So it seems to 1110 that the Arbitration Court arc really Warning lie Labour Uepartnwnt for having tho audacih- to point out the Court's own weakness. It is remarkable the sympathy of the Court towards .this side-stepping of the first principles of unionism, am, etc. jj[.