FLAXMILL EMPLOYEES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 10 August 1907, Page 3

FLAXMILL EMPLOYEES.

And their Accommodation. Matter Mentioned in Parliament. In the House on Wednesday, Mr W. T. Wood, asked the following question Whether the attention of the Minister of Labour has been drawn to the undermentioned, which appeared in the New Zealand Times of Thursday, 25th July, in respect to the way flax-mill employees are living? The article reads as follows: “The Flax - millers’ Award. —Dissatisfaction is expressed by Mr West.brooke, secretary of the Trades and Labour Council, relative to the recent awa/d„of the Arbitration Court in dispute. During the course of a visit of inspection through the district he found the conditions under which employees were living ‘ most horrible ’ —to use his own words. In one shed, 12ft by 14ft, with a 7ft stud, the floor, simply the bare ground, with no attempt at ventilation, 12 men were sleeping. Quite one-third of them worked in water up to their waists, there was no place where they could dry their clothds, and they bad to go to work each morning with their apparel still wet. Another third of the employees were working in an atmosphere impregnated with fine particles of fibre, and subject to a form of asthma developed by their work. ‘if one thing is necessary for these men,’ said Mr Westbrooke, ‘ it is an abundance of fresh air when sleeping.’ ” Will the MinisterVcause an enquiry to be made, and; if the above is the case have the iuatter attended to ; but if it is found that these conditions do not exist, will he have the statement contradicted as a libel upon all flax-mill owners ? In reply the Minister said that the Government had no legal authority to interfere in these matters. However, he would get the local inspector to visit these quarters and report.