93

H.—s

Memoranda made by Commissioners upon Visits of Inspection made fy them to several Establishments. Dunedin, 21st February, 1890. During Friday, the 21st February, the Commissioners visited and inspected factories and places of business, of which they record memoranda as follows :— Mr. Moore's Knitting-factory, Walker Street. —The building was unsuited for a factory, and too crowded. The openings for ventilation are all on one side. The room adjoins a yard, very dirty and very small; and there is one closet, foul smelling. The passages are narrow, and blocked up with material. No suitable place for meals for the eight girls who remain. Several girls seemed to be under fourteen years of age. Mr. Laidlaw's Knitting-factory, Maitland Street. —Altogether satisfactory. No room for meals. Light and ventilation good. No employes, apparently, under sixteen years of age. Closet clean. Employer seems anxious to treat employes well, and to make them comfortable. Mrs. Cuthill's Knitting-factory, Lee Street.— -Admirable workroom. Large, well lighted and ventilated. Good suitable room for meals. No young girls employed. Messrs. A. ami T. Inglis, Drapers, Ac, George Street. —Boot-factory first class. Lighting, ventilation, warming, and building highly satisfactory. Dressmaking rooms similar. No very young girls employed. Messrs. Simon Bros., Boot-manufacturers, George Street. —Factory crowded to excess. Badly lighted, and not ventilated. The building has three flats. In the upper one the sewing girls and clickers are in one room, and some of the employes are juvenile in appearance. The ground-floor is crowded with machinery and men, and the cellar is utilised as a workroom for a considerable number of men. The cellar from floor to ceiling is not more than 6ft. high, and two boys there are practically working in the dark (see Hulbert's evidence). Messrs. Burroio and Co., Boot-manufacturers, Stafford Street. —Building, an iron shanty, unsuitable for a factory. Arrangements otherwise as good as circumstances permitted. No crowding, fair lighting and ventilation. Dunedin, 24th February, 1890. Herbert Haynes, Dressmaking, Princes Street. —Rooms commodious, well lighted and ventilated. Sanitary arrangements adequate, and in good condition. One small girl just past fourteen years of age employed; all the others considerably older. Mrs. Searle s Hosiery-factory, Stuart Street. —Only two hands employed, log rates paid. Work given out, but at full factory rates. Mrs. E. Sheernan s Hosiery- and Shirt-manufactory, George Street. —Only hosiery work done on the premises. Two girls and Mrs. Sheernan's own son at work there in a room about 12ft. by 14ft. Hosiery log not adhered to. Mrs. S. pays her one machinist 2s. 6d. per dozen for socks and stockings all round. She has seven people working outside at shirts ; all married people. For machining she pays 3s. 3d. per dozen ; and for finishing, Is. 3d., Is. 6d., and Is. 9d., according to grade, Mrs. S. providing cotton, buttons, and everything. All she gets for cutting and pressing the shirts, and paying Is. for express, is Is. 9d. per dozen, the stitchers and finishers, in her opinion, getting the best of it. One widow woman to whom she gives work makes 355. a week machining, but no doubt works long hours, as she does two and a half dozen per day ; and one old woman only makes Bs. or 9s. a week. Mr. Clarke's Steam-laundry, North-east Valley. —About thirty hands employed; two men — machinist and driver—and the rest girls and women. Accommodation, ventilation, and lighting satisfactory. Comfortable room for meals, and proper sanitary arrangements. Hours of labour from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Saturdays included, with half an hour for dinner. During the winter, and at other times, excepting during about two months —the busy season —no work on Saturday afternoons. Girls allowed to take holidays as they feel they require them, but at their own cost, as nearly all are paid by piecework. No objection is made to employes leaving for a few days, or a week or so, at any time, and they are taken on again as readily after this absence. Christmas is only holiday observed, but no work whatever is done on Sundays. Learners get 6s. a week, and, as soon as they are fit for it, get piecework. Two of the youngest girls are now getting 6s. per week. Girls make on an average £1 a week, and the women, who are on day-wages, get 4s. per day. All the employes seemed well and strong, and those questioned said they felt no ill effects from the standing and the work. As during the busy season the work has to be done without delay, Mr. Clarke said he had no option but to work late hours. If that were not done the work must go elsewhere. Mr. Henry Holmes, Hosiery-manufacturer, North-east Valley. —Only two girls working in this factory, besides the members of the family. Room about 12ft. square; not crowded or stuffy. Mr. H. does not w 7 ork according to log rates ; considers his place almost too small to be called a factory, but expresses his willingness to join and to co-operate with the Union, so as to provide against reckless competition. Dunedin, 25th February, 1890. "Star" Office. —Well adapted for its purpose. Every convenience necessary. Ventilation good. Girls employed in binding department. One of the girls just over fourteen years of age, but said she was in the Seventh Standard when she left school. Compositors all work in accordance with rules of Typographical Society. " Times " Office.— -Well adapted ; every convenience. No women or girls employed. Mrs. Gill, Dressmaker and Milliner. —Accommodation very good. Girls employed seemed healthy. Back premises very satisfactory. Complies with terms of Factory Act. Messrs. Guthrie and Levy's Dunedin Clothing-factory. —About seventy hands employed. Room large, and nicely ventilated. Closets provided. Proprietors complained that the Union would not