WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XIX, Issue 777, 26 July 1907, Page 5

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

• ■- [PKESB ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, July 26. A deputation from the waterside workers waited on the Minister for Marine last night. Mr McLaren, the chief spokesman, said the conference represented four thousand men employed on the wharves of the colony, and they desired to place before the Minister the resolution arrived at by the conference. These included rcommendations to the Government to pass legislation limiting the s i;?e of coal basket, and grain sacks, the appointment of Government officers to report on all cases of accidents at the wharves, payments on behalf of the men of full medical fees in cases of accidents, provision of proper waiting and retiring rooms, with baths for the men working on the whai'ves, remission of duty on flour and potatoes, recommendation of a Fair Rent Bill, representation of the wharf workers on the Harbor Boards, amendment of the Arbitration Act to make the Railway Department a party to awards in respect to wharf laborers, statutory Saturday half holiday, exclusion of Asiatics, compulsion for Harbor Boards to supply requisites for first aid on wharves! nationalisation of the food supplies, and compulsory insurance of laborers. The Minister promised to do the best he could to have the size of coal baskets regulated, and said he would endeavor to have 2001bs fixed as the weight of a wheat sack. He would give instructions to have the gear used in coal handling inspected every three months. It was the duty of every Harbor Board to provide first aid requisites, lavatories, etc. As to the flour and potato duties, those were matters for the Cabinet to decide. Since he had held office he had done something to give Labor representation on Harbor Boards, but there was a difficulty in making them elective. As to si "white New Zealand," he thought the educational test would prove sufficient to j^revent any great number of Chinese coming into this country.