The Sweating Commissioners' Report.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 20 May 1890, Page 2

The Sweating Commissioners' Report.

1 ♦ WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS PROPOSE. The following recommendations are based cl iefly upon a review of the s f ate of tilings as revealed by the evidence. Any new or amended Factory Act should include amongst others the following provisions : — ... All factories, wo brooms, and plactis where work for hire is ex ecuted, irrespective of the number of workers employed, shall he registered and the luspector shall satisfy himself as to th j sanitary and other arrangements neossary for the health and morals of th' workers ; and without his sanction no factory vhall be registered. A certain number of cubic feet, aa determined by expert evidence, shall be al'owed for eaoh worker. The Government shall provide the Inspectors of Factories under the Acts wi h a form of table to be forwarded with their annual reports, showing th* number of ndult« and young persons employed in each factory or workshop, distinguishing the R6\es, the number of cubic fret of space for each pc-son as also the sanitary arrangements in connection with all e-tablishmeuts uuder their up'U'vision. Penalties shall be iinpo<ed in cases of workrooms being kept open for working purposes during mealhours. No boy or girl shall be a' lowed to work in any factory under the age of fou.teen years. He or she must leposit with the local Inspector where possible a certificate of birth, ami also a certificate stating that he or she has passed the fourth standard. The luspei'tor shall then give him or her a certificate stating that he or she Ims comp.ied with the above requirements. No young person b"tw*en the ages of fourteen and eighteen shall be a'iowed to work in any factory for more th m fortyi ight hours in any week, and not at all between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The Inspector shall have the ri^ht to enter ;«ny factory at any reasonable hour. Any obstruction to him sha 1 be punishable by fine. If any operative be found in the factory or workroom outside the specific hours, though not actively engaged in vr>"rk, it shall be reckoned as « breach of 'he law. Ins[ ec ors sha 1 be appointed under the ct, and sh <11 furnish half-year'y reports to the Colonial Secretary, who, after collating these, shall prepare an annual rfport to he presented to Parliament. The 'nspectors may he accompanied by aconstableor otln-r policeofficer, who shall have the right of admission with him to any shop, workroom or factor). Newspapers and printing establishment shal^be ('rouyht under theop* erat'on of this ct Factory Inspectors und r this Act 6ha 1 also be Sanitary Inspec t rs. Every manufacturer of goods for

sale *hall be required to procure a registered trademark, and all goods manufactured by them shall be stamped with this trade-mark. The game regulations in regard to eani ary arrangements shall apply to all shop* and other rooms where women and men work for hire That provision should be made in any Bill to be brought before Parliament to prevent, if possible, the suffering caused to fema!e assistants in shops by long continuous standing, as shown in Dunedin and Ohristchurch evidence. This Commission expresses its entire sympathy with the movement to secure early closing ; but, having in view the diversity of opinion on the part of i's promoters, is unable to recommend amy direct method by which this desirable object is to be attained. We recommend that steps should be taken to establish at an early date date Boards of Conciliation and Arbitration based on an equitable representation of labour and capi* tal. That a system of indenture by which employers should be bound to teach their apprentices by trade, and by which apprentices should remain with their employer long enough to learn it, wou d remedy many of the evils comp ained of. For the purpose of obtaining reliable data as to the social and economic condition of industty through* out the colony, Government are ro quested to take steps as soon as pos sible for the . establishment of Bureaux of Statistics in this colony. - , That the Government be asked to introduce w'tli the least possible delay a uew Factory Bill embodying the above recommendations.