PREMIER IN THE DARK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1522, 2 August 1905, Page 1

PREMIER IN THE DARK.

A DEPUTATION'S DISCOVERY.

TROUBLE FOR SOMEBODY,

A deputation thntavnitod on tho Premier Inst week was responsible for a rovelation Shut baa its hucjorca> o-proi, although judging by ccitain expressions of tho

Premier it is likely to beva its srrions side also for somebody nr other. It appears that tbe Trades and Labor Council recently discovered what appeared to bo an iuten tion on tho part of the Government to croaie a now indue.rial district, extending from Gisborne and Napitr to Woodvillr, Deeming such a step undesirnblo ihry appointed the deputation mentioned. Mr W. Hampton said it had come to

their eats that there vs at on alteration proposed in tho industrial districts, or rather that it was proposed to gaz tie such alterations. They hoped that any such - int ntion would not bo carried out, as it would impose a great disability on many trades

in tbo district involved.- At- present the Welliugtun Union bad been instrument!.!

iii obtaining awards for iho country di.— tricts, and m far us they know the guzolting of the new distr.ct would void these awards and the country d atriets would extend from Gisborne, Nopier, Hostings, and Dannevirke, down to Woodvillc. With too exception of Gisborne these towns were moro connected with Wellington than Gisborne was with Auckland. Tho gazetting of tbo new district would be detrimental to the trades, and would re duce them to a disorganised condition. Tbo argument was continued by Mr Cooper, who SBid one of the chief reasons for the objection was the fast that there was not a largo centre of population. In tho district in quo3ticn it would oe almost impossible for some trades (he specially instanced tha saddlery trade) to form unions. Tho only way to form a union would bo to combine the woikers of the different towns, and this would be inconvenient or impracticable. At present tbo large body of workers in Wellington iii the saddlery trade, for instance, were able to look after the men in the country towns. The result of the change would be that the employers would have a free hand. The proposal would probably hot affeot Napier or Gisborne, but, it would seriously affeot the smaller towns.

Here the Premier interrupted : What information had they ? On what grounds did they fear that this step was contemplated ? In short, did they know anything about it ? Mr Ooopor said their information came from the Labor Department, where some officials of the Labor Council wore told that it was proposed to eonstituto the' new district. Not only that, but they bad seen the new district drafted out ou a map.

Did they know of any action being taken by tho districts affected ? the Premier.

No, but having heard of it Mr Hampton explniDod they thought they had better lose no time in getting their objeciron in at headquarters. “It’s a very funny thing,” said the Premier, " a very funny thing that anything can go on in my department aod tho first I hear of it is from a deputation. I may toil you I know nothing about it. I um Dot used to she affairs in any department of mice being bandied about.” He indicated that ho was not in favor of cut-

tiog up the colony into small districts. It was against his policy. There would be nothing hastily done, and he would oertainly want evidence on the question. Seeing that there was nothing elsb to do in tbo extraordinary circumstances the deputation thanked the Premier and left. . “ Somebody is goiug to get a top over tbo knuckles.” said the Premier as they filed out.