OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 679, 1 November 1921, Page 5

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

I LABOUH DAY. Our Owp.. Correspondent.) Come to think,! !df jlfay”*lts a bit of a misnomer. (It would be »oi% appropriefbe to call it “Take It Easy Day,” for nobody does any work on this interesting occasion, nobody that Is, who cap possibly help it. Labour Elay, as everybody, snows, was established ,in commemoration of the coming into force of the Eight Hour working day. But the old jibgle: “Eight hours’ work, Eight hours* play, ~ j | Eighfe hbiirs’ sleepy, t, | And eight bob a day.” ■No longer hoidfe good*; in fact it has ceased to hold good: for years past. There ought to be a revised) version, something like this : Six or seven hours’ work, All the other hours play; Sleep all you can, And about 25 bob a day.

The fames have changed, you see, No one dreams of working eight hours a day these times, and as for eight bob a day, perish the thought! The 44-hour week meets with the approval of most workers now, I understand, But I believe that some of the bolder spirits over in Sydney are, or have been, agitating for a fourhour day. If ever that is conceded the “working man,” assuming that he commences at 8 a.m. as usual, will be, through by noon, and have tho rest of the day in which to smoke his pipe. I understand (the . four-hour day has the enthusiastic support of the Sydney publicans. I should f nt wonder. , They would’nt have to observe a four-hour day, you See.

i * OUR WORKING GIRL% When a well-known Auckland business man was asked this week what kind of employment was most popular with girls who earn their own living, he replied: ‘’Office and business positions. It’s the same with the girls as with the boys^—they all want “genteel jobs” This gentleman added that while some girls were well adapted for a business career, and did well in that line wherever they went a much larger number of >them?were failures as clerks, or only very partial successes, whereas they might had they turned their attention to some ofcher calling have very likely become valuable workers. This view is shared by many other commercial men, and it seems to be generally recognised that the girl who makes good 1 as a cletk and attains to a responsible and well-paid position is the exception and not fthe rule. ■' ■ '

DOMESTIC WORK OUT OF FAVOUR.

But “clerking” is so -much fancied by voung women now-a-days that the factories throughout the Domininn ar i running short-handed, and as for domestic helps really capable ones are as difficult to find as five pound notes. As an American registry office keeper put the case: “The day seems to have gene by when girls took a genuine interest in domestic work. Formerly it often happened that a girl would take service with a family when she was 16 or 17 years of age, and remain in the one place for the rest of her working life. But now-a-days girls seem to think they are. conferring a great favour in consenting to enter a household, and will make so many stipulations—even going to insist that no guests are to be entertained —that mistresses may well be excused for declining their assistance and deciding to their household work themselves.”

ADVERTISING NEW ZEALAND. Estimated that the tourist traffic of the Domininon is bow worth upwards of a million pounds a year, and that this amount, large as it s, coulc. be easily quadrupled. To this end a Auckland commercial man suggests that the Government should spend £50,000 in a well-directed advertising campaign in England, Canada, Australia and America. It appears 'that the expenditure of the Tourist Department for last year was something ever £6OO0 —a very inadequate amount in view of *the fact that 6000 visitors from overseas landed at Auckland dnring 1920, to say nothing ol the thousands who approached the Dominion by way of the South Islnad. Lord Northcliffa, when he m Auckland, seemed fto think' that*New Zealand had, i» her scenic beauties, a most valuable asset. Doubtless, hr Massey thinks so, too, but when he is asked to sanction the advertising campaign already referred to ire win probably wan| to know where the money is to come from.

OUR POLICE METHODS. Recently the Rev. Mr Budd, gaol chaplain, of Auckland, speaking at a meeting of the Discharged Prisoners Aid Soeiety, sharply criticised the methods pursued by the police of obtaining statements from persons suspected or accused of The condemnation of this system of securing incriminating' admissions from suspects, naturally attracted considerable attention. Subsequently an official from the Police Department waited upon Mr Budd and explained that the English law relating to evidence differed from the New Zealand law. In New Zealand, it was pointed out, a police officer is permitted to obtain evidence from an accused person by promise or threat, fn England this is distinctly illegal. Mr Budd admits that this being so, we in this country have no right to blame the police when they resort to this method of obtaining evidence. Of course if the law allows it to be done there is no more to be said—except this, ought the law to allow it ? I,t certainly seems to be taking an unfair advantage of an accused person.