Wellington Notes.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 83, 5 October 1896, Page 2

Wellington Notes.

(From Our Own Correspondent) THE EIGHT HOUES BILL. The Upper House again proved its right of existence and showed that it is the true friend of the working classes by throwing out the Eight Hours Bill designed ostensib^ to make the lot of the poor happier, but nearly to rob them of the right to earn the few shillings a week which make up the difference between living from band to montb and being in a position to lay by a srnall surplus for a rainy day. For any reasonable man who has ever bad to earn his living by hard work to endeavour to make it a crime that anyone should work more thai* forty-five hours per week is an astonishing thing even in these days of forward movement. Such a creed may suit some few cranks in the big cities, where football is tbe be-all and end-all of life, and where free libraries and other means oi r leisure and enjoyment are at hand, but in country villuges tbe consequences would be disastrous to many a tradesman. And the wrong of the Bill was that it did not apply to the two most notoriously sweated classes in the colony — the Civil Service and tbe co operative workers, although local bodies' employes were to come under its influence. The Act was intended to apply to goldminers— presumably underground men, although the Bill did not specify so. It -would be absurd to apply it to alluvial mon who are dependent on the weather for water, and whose chief complaint is too much idle time. The underground man, notwithstanding a belief to the contrary, is not an overworked individual as a rule, and he very much profers working 90 hours a week to 4S, which is the standard week. In my time, and I spent a good deal of it in the bowels of the earth, the pay for miners was 10s per 8 hours snift, and what between the time lost in waiting jor the smoke of the shots to leave the face, crib time, and the spell one mate would have while the other was using the pick where there was only room for one to work, while ihe other smoked and looked on, not more than five to six hours of the shift could be called work ; and it frequently happened that a miner would work continously through two shifts, getting double pay, and without any barm to himself. THE END OF THE SESSION. Last week the Premier promised that the southern members should be allowed to leave by Wednesday and the others on Friday, but this hardly seems possible now. The Banking Committee asked for another week this afternoon to draw up the report, but objections were raised on ihe very obvious grounds that this might be on the last day of the session and no time would be afforded to consider, much less debate it. Mr Bell said the Committee had never touched the subject of the real enquiry for the Committee had carefully refrained from enquiring into accounts on the grounds of " no writings off " when there had been writings off which had been protected by a technicality. His opinion of the report to be presented to the House was that it would be a bale of waste paper ; be hoped the Committee would recognise that the House had set them certain work to do and the country expected the Committee would do that work conscientiously. Captain Russell protested that it would be unfair not to give the House an opportunity of criticising tbe theatrical performance of the past three months. Mr John Mackenzie replied very impressively that the report of the Committee would only end the first act of the drama. The second would be when the people of the colony demanded to know where that four millions went to. What he meant by this allegorical threat is not very clear for the people of New Zealand have nothing to do with it. That is a matter between tbe unfortunate shareholders and the directors they selected to look after their interests. Mr Graham said he hoped the sub-committee would have their report ready to submit to tbe General Committee on Tuesday and to the House on Wednesday. Then the Copyright Bill Committee ask ed for another week to report. There is something queer going on in this connection. About ten days ago it was known iu the lobbies that a report was drawn up, and then the Minister of Lands, who started this game, had it kept back so that he could give further evidence. That report recommended that all newspapers should be admitted to tbe Press Association without paying any entrance fee, and equal privileges with existing members. Seeing that the present combination has a reserye fund of £4000 for contingencies, it would be a rather one-sided bargain to admit them to the share of other people's sav* ings, but that is the tendency of all our modern legislation and should not cause surprise to anyone. But as there are always two parties to a bargain, it is only natnral to conclude that the Association would divide their nest egg and then dissolve and let the country wait for its news by mail instead of getting it daily by wire. There was a minority report drawn up also, recommending the maximum entrance fee be fixed at £500 with a sliding scale. But, as tbe Com mittee is still asking for time it is hard to say what new wonders its members will evolve.