The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4040, 17 February 1892, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1892.

People are just now beginning lo realise what are the effects of tho legislation of a Liberal Government, The individual who has had the misfortune to inherit a large estate, or who has, by his thrift and industry, become wealthy, is not the only one who is to be liarrasaed. True, he is to ba" burst up" in some way or other to gratify the desires of the supposed representatives of tbe masses, But there is a measure which affects all employers of labour—imenßure which is even more iniquitous than the Land and Income T«, And why ? Because it places hardships upon small capitalists and tradesmen for no earthly object or purpose. We refer to tbe Factories Act now coming into operation. Wo have already written strongly upon the subject, and it is hardly necessary for us to further dilate, Tradesmen themselves know what is required of them, they know just how much benefit will be derived by their white.washing lbs interior of their workrooms periodically, by their providing dinnor» tables for tbeir employes, and by their posting the name aud age of every .vorkman upon the door, and will doubtless fuln'l all these requirements of the Act without a murmur, But for those who do not come within the scope of this Act to be pestered and threatened with the penalties' of the law is positively annoying. Several cases have already been brought under our notice where tradesmen having only one peiaon in iheir employ buve received notice that tbey are not complying with the Act, and threatened with proceedings. Could anything moro annoying than this be imagined ? If the Government has iound it necessary, 'in the interests of the. working man, to frame the Factories Act, why should it not see that it is enforced in a proper manner ? Should it not be the duty of an Inspector 'to visit factories and report upon their con» dition and tho number of bauds employed, beforo threatening to prosecute ? We think it should, A t any rale, when opportunity, again occurs, we are satisfied tbat employers oE labour will express their opinion in an emphatic manner upon a measure which is oppressive as it is useless and unjust.