WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3940, 11 October 1875, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[Bt Tilmkaph.] (from our »wn CorrotjttndotU.) v T D kllinoton, October 9. ir Keid only carried ui* amending ■ f tha h...pioyment of F. males Bill through by ft fluke. On » proposal to read the Bill that day > ix months, the .dual Toting w»g twenty-five nuns to twenty-four ayes, but Karaiaina, who intended to Tote with dr Bradshaw, by mil ■ ; ke went into the lobby with th ayei. Mr t-v.-id, besides making a lonjs speech in support, cad telegrams from Duncan and Mosgiel seconding his efforts. Mr roaill, manager of he MoPgiel factory, telegraphed : “ The factory employs thirty-one females, two >f whom are married. Four are under eigh een years of age, and the youngest mala and temalo employed are fourteen years old. All the femalss are agreeable to work 'or the present bourn—vie., tan hours for fire days, and seven hours on Saturdays.” The workmen iu the fact ry bafiif shareholders did not wish to give an opinion, but twenty four of tha femabs employed forwarded the following pe.ti« ‘iou “ We, female workers of tha Mosgiel Woollen Factory, era parf-.-otly satisfied with ,ae hours we are woikiug at present—Til., fifty-seven per wa >k, and to reduce our time of war* to whatis m tha Fact iy Act here W 'uld ba to reduce our wages by near j ous-lourth of the ’iouey wears at present paid. 'ho work wa re employed on is easy, light work; and wa are aiways so employed that wa can walk -b..ut while w» attend to our work, Tha Fso ory Act at Home is sixty hours per weak for female worker* and they work sixty hours per week in Victoria. Seeing that a roluc ion of our hj >urs of labor would be ao bunful u> our welfare, we sincerely trust you will try your best to kt us work the sas.a hums as at present,, fif y seven wt-eklv. Those wbo voted to throw out Un> Bill we're Messrs Holies ton, J. 0. Brown, Panda, 0. Parker, lutl s, Ward, Ballance, T.aaroa, Katsue, hAni, ivichm jnd, Ou:titj # Thomson, 0’ ouor, v.ibbs, (.’Rorks, Reeves, Stafford, Bowen, Tribe, Brandon, G. B. P«rkar, Webb, and Bradshaw, immediately upon this division much amusement, was created by Mr Rollaston having put iu his band while speaking the following telegram from Dum din Strong feeling here against the Act, especially sntoi g factoiy women.” He construed the telegram into a. expression of opinion against Mr Reid’s Rid, but the Homs appeared to regard it as quit*- the centraly. Me*.re Bradshaw and ifcoliestcQ fought and succeeding in det ■ ji’ ’ ng M. Paid on the proposal to extend the hours firm six to nine, f o allow of two shiftni of s. vna hours . npti at the Mosgiel works, Aathe Bdl now stands the woikiug hours ire between six ».d seven, wuioh wiil not allow 0 f such >bifis. Mr Thomson strongly opposed the Bill, urging that the company was getting ibn per cep... dividend, and was doing well enough tvi thout attempting to get more at the expense of kb employees’ health. Mr Reynold* hj aving denied that (he shareholders receive'l ten per cent., Mr Bradshaw made a positive ‘Utemeutlo Unu effect. Sir F. I>. BeJ also -trougly u'geu that no attempt should bo made fo interfere wita tbs r cognised standard hours of labor in the (’domes, and said that i« do so would event' ally ba»'e a prejudicial influence on immigration H» chara te ised the arguments of ;Le "jipoii. n's ©f th* Bill as chop trap. Ou the clause to extern ton home from nix to nine being put, Mr Bradsh->w asserted that if passe i, withiu three mouths the «oirk.men in the Colony would f rm thenuelves into trade unions for the purpose of protecting themselves and thei (ambit g against the Act. T!ae - lause w..a J e:- ftted by £4 a t .ainst 19, ihp di.'ousaim thru took a general form as to toe geueia! effect oi Mi Tradsluaw’s Act, 11l s was raised by Sir Ciaco't VvDlson pro p.'Hin,; that neither (he Act of 1873 nor sny of ub .uiu ndrmnts should apply to persons <mpkyod in retail businesses where good* are exposed tor sale. Messrs Webb aiad Bra ishaw an ougly oppose ■ the clause as viiri ually mean* ing a total repeal of the let, as. to most retai establishments in Christchurch, and Dunedin workshops were attached. Sir <l. Wilson said his intention was misapssVehended. Of oou-se th- Act would apply to factory gills, but not to girls employed as mil mors. Mr M rvyn said the Act at the ; present time was systematically ova.led in all i drapery estanlfsbmenis. IViil<n>«is were cn- : as saleswomen and -milliners ; us the , later tuey were worked 1 L m. on batni - .lays, and after that hour on Saturdays were speck,lly engaged as saleswomen. There was a geu-eral expression of opinion that salewomcn rJiould he exempted from the Act, which Mr Bind haw pointed out ; bey were already ; howewer, to make ast-ur- . a ,i o doubiy su:e, .Mr Peai.*.co h-d the exemp- ; tioo spe>"ially stated in the .cause.

At ‘h? :-uc:;e*uon of tile ‘ Auckland Star,’ winch employs seven tvmaie compositors, fem ties are to be allowed to work in printing otti-.as up to 4.50 urn. on ■'•■Atunlays. Hn the Bill being pressed 1 to a thud reading ai the same sitting Mr 1 Cohesion waxed unusually wrathful and characterised it "as a wi etched piece ■ f retry loca.bstn, and one of the grea eat triumphs of lucin' umckery ever res ried for the House to wi tineas.” air Br dshavv is san .uinc that the Upiver House Will reject he B.li, and if it does not he threatens to make the labor question a tea# one at the ensuing election , October 9. The 1 airua investigation Committee's report stiongly censures the 'Sitivs Lands burohase Depfitment, the conduct of its officers being open to grave distrust. i he Pi iviloge case turned om. a most hollow affair. Before Mr Bridges was called to the bar, Mr Maoandrew said the only pi es»urv put ou the Genual Gov* rmuonb was'by the iToviwcial overumeut and hiim-e'd in particular. The pi same was not con timid to the General Gov< rum'-nt, but was put npon the contractors of 'he Port Chalmers llsti.wa line. be considered the sale had. been au excellent one for the Colony, and prrsauie was solely used i& the interests of th* public Mr Bridget had got hold <af a map’s nest Mr bridges having b 8n «at-g rically questioned a the Bar, said he would answer the questions if indemnified fro.u the couaequenccß of an action for libel. He then made a statement to the effect that since Saturday he had received information he was not previously aware of wbioh led him to the conclusion that the opiuiuu he bad expressed before the Accounts Committee t<- the effect that the Bank put pressure upo.U the Government was formed on erroneous and’ insufficient grounds. 1 hurefore be letraoted the w-ole of his evi ience on that »ui jeot the Government has intimated that they w.II immediately in a Bill pro f eciing Mr Badges from al on ■ qu- ncea save perjury.