INQUISITIVENESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 12

INQUISITIVENESS.

' ! 3Y GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT j WORRYING, THOUGH NECESSARY. ; A SMALL MANUFACTURER'S TRIALS. The conduct of a small manufacturing . concern carries with it a multitude of j burdens, both financial and personal, that are quite sufficient in these strenu- i ous times for the average small era- ' plover. But he is not allowed to wrestle with these alone, for our wondrously ; complex' industrial legislation makes ; further •demands that require an ] expenditure of time and patience out of j i all proportion to the extent of the busi- < net,s. Maybe these requirements are ] aeci»*ary. but it seems to the outside ] observer* that they could be simplified to - a considerable extent. Here is the . experience of an Auckland man embark- ( ing on a small-scale secondary industry. • Probably his experience is that ot many similarly situated. The First Department. j The first duty, of course, is the regis- ( tration of the'factory.with the Labour | Department, this requiring the filling in of the inevitable Government form particularising the number of hands cmploved. iv due course back comes the certificate, and everything is apparently iv order. Later there arrives an inspector, who demands to see the wages and time book. His first discovery is that the ages of the boys are not specified. Then he declares that a certain apprentice should receive a greater wage than he is getting. An argument ensues, the question is eventually referred to the Employers' Association, and, after coneiderable worry and correspondence, it is ascertained that the original wage is correct. However, the inspector discovers that an additional two hands have been taken on during the year, so that there must be a new registration, with a further fee payable. Enter Another Department. Having satisfied the Labour Department, the harassed employer proceeds with the ordinary routine of business, tut in a few days is interrupted by a notice from the Machinery Department that his factcfry is not registered for the j use of machinery. He is instructed to j make application for such registration, j In a month or so a machinery inspector j comes on the scene. He surveys the plant, makes requests re safety guards and other matters, and stamps the machines. For this service a fee of 7/o is demanded from Wellington. In ignorance of the workings of the great Government service, this amount is sent by cheque to the Auckland office, which promptly returns it with the intimation that that office does not receive money. The cheque is therefore dispatched to Wellington, and is again promptly returned, because no exchange has been added to it. It is apparently quite immaterial that this juggling for sixpence has cost the Department a much greater amount* in time, stamps and stationery. Other machinery inspectors happen along from time to time. The Labour Department Again. Soon a Labour inspector is back once more. He understands tha,t a certain process is being carried out in a room not specially licensed for the purpose. Assurance is given that the legislative requirements will be complied with. ' Then he discovers that two recentlyengaged apprentices have net signed the necessary deeds. Triplicate copies of apprenticeship contracts are forwarded to be duly filled in, signed and witnessed. One apprentice is so overcome by the formidable appearance of such a document that he promptly "chucks" his job. This Department still thirsts for information, and demands a return of all wages and overtime paid, from December to December following. This has not long been dispatched ere there comes a formidable blue document that is particularly inquisitive. It requires particulars of quantities and cost of all materials used in the business, with a summary of its turnover, and further information of wages and overtime, but on this occasion from March to the following March. There is conveyed also the fact that the employer is liable to a penalty of £25 if he fails to supply the necessary details. Still More Worries. Enters thirdly the Income Tax Department with further searching Inquiries, and maybe, with another inepector to pore over the books. Meanwhile, additional notices and regulations come to hand from the persistent Labour D piirtmcnt. All, under penalty of fine, require to be posted, and. because employees with a perverted sense of humour write .sarcastic comments on the documents after t'.iey are duly exhibited, another inspector delivers a homily on this sacrilege. Demands Upon Time. Time the year jogs along, with its continuity of interruptions that sorely try the patience of the struggling man of business. It ie possible that all this inspection is necessary for the safej guarding of the life and the wages of an * employee, but it is unduly disconcerting in a small concern. One employer has estimated that to fulfill all the requirements of the various Government Departments with which he comes in touch requires over three weeks of hie full "working time. Such conditions seem to suggest that a simplification of conditions ie urgently required.