PETITION OF J. BROSNAN, AND 126 OTHERS.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1897 Session II, J-01

J.— l.

Sess. 11.—1897. NEW ZEALAND.

PETITION OF J. BROSNAN, AND 126 OTHERS.

Presented to the House of Representatives by the Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, 28th November, 1897, and ordered to be printed.

Petition No. 272. To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives. The petition of the undersigned, miners and others connected directly with mining in the Tuapeka Electorate, humbly sheweth,' — 1. That we believe it is the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill in Parliament intituled the Eight Hours Bill. 2. That an unwritten law or custom very generally observed in this district fixes the duration of an ordinary working-day at eight hours, and that any statutory limitation of working-hours will be most injurious to us and to our industry for this among other reasons, namely: that mining in this vicinity is to a large extent alluvial and dependent upon water, the supply of which depends upon causes beyond the control of your petitioners; that droughts in the height of summer, and frosts in the depths of winter, every year prevent our working at those seasons even eight hours a day with regularity, and our only chance of making up the loss thus occasioned is by working overtime whenever the opportunity presents itself. Therefore your petitioners humbly pray that this district may be exempted from the operation of the Eight Hours Bill should it become law. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c. J. Bkosnan, and 126 Others. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given ; printing (1,250 copies), 17s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB97. Price 3d.]