LABOUR IN FACTORIES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 447, 19 February 1890, Page 4

LABOUR IN FACTORIES.

EVIDENCE BEFORE THE SWEAT ING COMMISSION.

Before the Sweating Commission at Dunedin yesterday, Robert Slater, President of the Trades and Labour Council, gave evidence corroborative of that previously given. Since the formation of the Tailoresses’ Union, he believed, the health of the employees generally had improved. He only knew of one woman being employed as a presser, and he thought such work was too heavy for women. The employment of boy labour was driving the best men out of the colony. David Pinkerton, President of the Bootmakers’ Union, said that the only trouble in the boot branch of trade—a trouble which was now past to some extent was the disproportionate employment of boys. Their work was all piecework, and the whole of the work was now done in the factories. Formerly work had been taken home, bu.t the Union had put a stop to that practice. The boot factories were all in good sanitary condition, and every convenience was provided for employees. All trades in connection with which no Union had been formed were suffering front the undue number of young persons" employed, The Employment of Females Act was not properly enforced in the country. He had never seen the inspector in any factory in which he had worked, and his work in factories extended over a period of seven years. The employment of boys was largely due to the invention and introduction of machinery. Henry Todd, Secretary of the Bootmakers’ Union, said that some of the workrooms in town were not lit to work in. He was in favour of boards of arbitration, and feared that workmen, feeling their power in Unions, would become too arbifcratry.