THE SWEATING COMMISSION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2775, 26 April 1890, Page 2

THE SWEATING COMMISSION.

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Wellington, Last Night. Before the Sweating Commission a solicitor attended for the purpose of making some statements regarding the over-work-ing of clerks engaged in banks, mercantile houses, etc., he had, he stated, in his possession figures which showed conclusively that clerks were under-paid and over-worked. The difficulty ho encountered was that if he were to give any of these figures to the Commission, the Mercantile firm, banking, or other Corporation Company to which they referred, would identify those of their employees who had supplied him with the figures, and a black mark would bo placed against them. He suggested that employers should bo approached so as to enable employees to come forward and give evidence without fear of dismissal. If this were not done, he suggested that a clause should be inserted in the report of the Commissioners, to the effect that it was desirable to appoint another commission to enquire into the condition of clerks. The Chairman was afraid that if managers were approached in the manner suggested they would reply that it was not within the scope of the Commission to enquire into the condition of clerks, but the suggestion for setting up another commission would receive careful consideration.

Before the Sweating Commission, a youth aged 17, a printer, stated he had been induced to leave England by an immigration agent, who told him he would receive a vacancy as cadet on a farm at Taranaki, when he arrived at the latter place he was put in a livery stable and had to work 17 hours a day for 5s a week, he afterwards was put on a farm but got no payment. He had been offered work at both the Cape and Hobart but the agent who was on board told him, "You don't do any think of the sort, there is work in Taranaki and you will be better off on a farm." Several others, he said, were in the same position as himself. A gentleman attended and stated two lads who arrived by the Tongariro would have been taken on as improvers by a local bootmaker, but were proventi.-d by the Trades' Union. Two cabinetmakers complained of tfie number of boys employed in the trade to the proportion of men.