I.—9a.

44

[a. rossek.

4. Mr. Anderson.] You would not get on without the cable companies?— That is a matter of urgency; but why should a girl be exempt in an auctioneer's office and not in a grocer's office? Clause 35 : " The ordinary wages or salary of every office-assistant shall be paid for the half-holiday hereinbefore provided, and for any holiday or half-holiday mentioned in section eighteen hereof at the first regular pay-day after the half-holiday or holiday." That is a necessary provision, but there is no provision for the payment of wages in general or for a wages and time book. It assumes that the general wages will be paid correctly, and therefore that the half-holiday wage will be paid. I should like to point out that this Act provides that a person shall not work after a certain hour, but it does not say shall not work before a certain hour. In Auckland girls are sometimes brought on at 7.30 in the morning. I think there should be certain hours of work, and that the Act should stipulate those hours. Clause 56 (I have finished speaking for the union) provides : " Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to prohibit the sale at any time of newspapers on any premises where the same are printed or published by the printer or publisher, or by any assistant of any or both of them." Does that affect boys selling in the streets or delivering at the door? Is it clear? Because, if so, it affects the evening paper in Auckland and not the morning paper. My last point is in the schedule, page 25. I have conducted every hairdressers' dispute before the Council and Court in Auckland, and I consider some attempt should be made to bring the hours for hairdressers into conformity in the four chief centres. In Auckland the closing-time is 9.40, in Dunedin 9.15, Christchurch about the same, Wellington 9.15. 5. Mr. Bollard.'] You say Sunday trading is carried on now in Auckland : who carries on flic Sunday trading? —Lollie-shops and confectioners' shops. I an: not saying much about the refreshment-shops, although I never patronize them. The confectioners' shops are a source oi temptation to children on Sunday. I know one shop where the proprietress takes her rent on Sunday. The police will not prosecute after Mr. Kettle's decision. I object to a child going to Sunday school with 3d. or Id. being tempted to spend it on sweets instead of it going to its proper destination. 6. Would you stop the supply of soft drinks? —Not if consumed on the premises. 7. What about the Kiosk: they serve tea and other refreshments? —I have no objection to that. 8. Now, in regard to the extra hours of shop-assistants at Christmas and New Year, do they not get an extra holiday not provided in the Act? Would that not compensate them for the extra time? —If you take the extra time and allow them time and a half you will find they are not nearly compensated. They work eight hours from 7 to 11, and calculated at time and a half that would be twelve hours. 9. Mr. Clark.] Do you think it would be fair to exempt country auctioneers who sell cheap meat to the workers on the half-holiday?— Treat them as ordinary butchers. 10. In Dunedin they sell at less than the butchers, and the workers get cheap meat. If you are going to close them you are going to play into the hands of monopoly?—I do not know what takes place at Dunedin. I would not object to that. 11. Mr. Okey.] Do you not think Sunday trading should be cut out altogether as far as the employees are concerned. Why allow Sunday trading at all?— That is what I cannot understand —why we should prohibit it in the awards —in the grocers' awards. It should be in all cases. It should be in the confectionery trade. That is a point I would make specially. 12. In the case of a partnership do you think it right that only one member of the firm should be allowed to come back? Supposing a son wanted to dress the window while his father looked after the books? —As long as it is a bona fide partnership; but it is liable to abuse, as families are exempt. We are satisfied with the present clause in the Act, and that is that one person can be registered, and only one person. 13. You want the hours stated in which a girl must work. Supposing a girl wants a holi day, and is willing to come back and do some typewriting early?-—Well, it is open to abuse. For instance, there are cases under the Arbitration Act where no worker can contract himself out of the provisions of the award. That may work hard in some cases, but it is for the common good. To a reasonable employer there is no need to prescribe the starting-hour, but there are others who are not reasonable. One clause I have missed —clause 43, with regard to fifteen minutes beyond the prescribed time. We object to any fifteen minutes' grace. It was not so in the old Act, and we in Auckland have had to suffer right up to the present time; offices there interpret it in a different way to those in the South. A decision of Chief Justice Stout in the case of Archer v. Le Cren is very clear. Our people are allowed to keep open till 9.30, and if the Inspector sees an assistant working after a quarter past 9 he reckons it is no offence because they are allowed a half-hour's grace. We object to any grace at all. 14. Mr. Anderson.'] If they are serving a customer would you allow them to complete the sale ?—Yes, but the doors should be closed. 15. Supposing several customers were waiting in the shop, would they have to walk out? —They deserve to for putting it off till the last minute. Close the doors ; that would meet the case. 16. Mr. Clark.] You are in favour of closing confectioners' shops on Sundays, to prevent the children wasting their money. Would you be in favour of closing hotels on the half-holiday to save the men from wasting their earnings?—l am a lifelong abstainer and a Prohibitionist. T would close the hotels altogether if I had my way. 17. Mr, Grenfdl.] You are aware that the case Archer v. Le Cren was only decided last year, and it was a test case for deciding the intentions of the legislature? Prior to that was it not an understanding that they should have half an hour's grace to clear up the shop? Yes.