ALLEGED SWEATING IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9365, 14 March 1896, Page 10

ALLEGED SWEATING IN CHRISTCHURCH.

-*— A meeting of the Committees of the Progressiva Liberal Association and the Can terbmy Trades ami Labour Council was held last evening to receive tho report of tb<! Joint f-'ub-G'ommit'ea on the sweating ea il to fX'Ki iv C.iriotc'utrch. There was a fair attendance, and Mr S. Billciiff pre--iilr-il. AmuM' ihoto pies-cut weie Messrs C. Lr-vris. W. >.*. Coi'in*. W. W. Tanner, ami G. W. Russell. M.H.K.*?. Apologies -v.-tr p. r.-ceived for the übaeiite of the He;*. H. C. J. Stevens, C. C. Boweu, and J. K. Jeultiusnn, and Meesrs J. Joyce and G. J. Smith, M.H.P. s. Tie SKCiiET\KY (Mr Taylor) said there ha.. been a miik-iilty in t-ettii.g evidence, but he believed 'bat the cases of sweating tha' were mentioned coi'M be sub-i'amiated. He then read the following report on aliened ■weati'-g in Chris - church :— "Hours of work and v.a£':* leceived by employees, drivers and guards of one Tramway Company— 7 a.m. to 7.15 p.m., Saturdays to 11 p.m., Bumi,.ys 9 a.in. to 9.30 p.m. Men a' wages 22*> 6i r per week ; voiicim, same houra, 15s per week. Hojrs of work aud wazes received by another Tramway Company's employee' —6.45 v.m. *o H. 15 p.m., Suun.ivs 9.30 a.m. £0 9.30 p.m.; v/ajjea from 20J to 37d 6d per week, with eufliuient tim<» oil to eat thoir meals; dinner between 3 ay.d 4 o'clock, tea betweeu 8 aud 9. Drivers of grocers' carts —Hours worked, 8 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., Thursdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Snturdays to 11 p.m., alternate Sundays two hours; wjgeg, married men 30s per week ; grocers' assistants, wai*c3 15s to 30a per week- Woolwashins; —Men employed on night work start work at 8 p.m., and work uctil 8 a.m., with a break of haif an hour for refreshments, wages for eight hours 20* per week, all over eight hours per night paid ufc the same rare. In many or tiie cr-des aud businesses in Christchurch boya and girls enter ou a verbal agrecmenc with employers to learn a trade, aud at tho expiration of a year, when ac cording to agreement, they are entitled to a rise iv wages, or to commence receiving wages as the cai« miy be, somo pretext is found for dispensing with their services, or retaining them at. :li:aams rateaa tor the first year. A imuried n;<ui, 47 yeara of &£i, with a family of nine children, reeeivtii «3 packer in a tea room 30j per week ; v rice in Wiigefl to 32s 6ii; lias left, and hie place is filled by a man twoaty-two years of ago at 25s per week. An assistant Gtoienrun in & general merchant's warehouse, who was over eighteen years of age, steady and industrious, received 10* per week. Firm Labourers — (case No. 1). Au cxptirt ploughman was sus-aged by the Labour Bureau agent ac Timaru to work a double furrow plough at 14s par week and found. (No. 2) A married mau with wile and five children, the eldest thirteen years of age, worked as a ploughman for 15* per week aud found, but paid rent for his cottage. Mr VV. Ensom moved—" That this meeting, representing the Progressive Liberal Association and Canterbury Trades and Labour Council, hereby requests the Government to introduce a Masters and Apprentices Bill into Parliament; also to bring forward measures giving effect to the prinoiple of the eight hours day and a minimum wage.'' 1 Mr C. Labas seconded the motion. Mr Collins approved of tbe resolution, and promised hia assistance in the matter. Air Tii-O. Wakk said one of tha most aggravated cases of sweating was the Byßtern of working pupil teachers under the Board of Education. With their duties in the school, and receiving instructions from the master, they ofteu had to work for nine or ten hours per day, and only atarted with 7s 8d per week. He also referred to the overtime in Government offices, and the long hours of warders and Bank clerks. A lady present said that on board the Union boats men sometimes worked for thirty-six hours at a stretch. Mr H. G. Ell spoke on the subject of dressmakers' apprentices. Several ladies referred to the system now adopted in employing young girla in the dressmaking business. Mention was made of alleged sweating in the ironfounders and cabinet-making. Mr G. VV. Russell pointed out that most of the cases mentioned in the report were of unskilled workers, and said some means were neoessary to provide more work. The aged men were becoming the victims of the living wage for the young men. He urged that old-age pensions and State farms should be established, and tha resources of the country should bo developed so as to provide more work. - Thero was scope on the gold fields for any number of men, and the whole of the unskilled workmen now out of employment could be absorbed there. Mr Tannef. said it would not be until the masses brought united pressure to bear on Parliament that they would get anything done. The cases mentioned that evening were those of low wages rather than sweat* ing, and there were instances which appealed to their sympathies. He believed only twelve out of the seventy-four members would conscientiously support the three principles mentioned in the resolution.. Mr C. Lbwis said he was in accord with an Eight Hours Bill. There wus one fact upon which sufficient streas had not been laid; the influence of public opinion was a thing not to be disregarded, though he was not one who said that publio opinion was alwaya right. The members of Parliament had duties to perform, and members would have their hands strengthened if backed up by publio opinion. His opinion was that sweating was to some extent brought about by those who suffered from it, and he instanced the case of the Working classes patronising a shop which was one of the worst sweating institutions. He had always done what he could by precept and example to put down sweating, and ho would do the same in the House. Mr Ensom having replied, the motion •was put and carried unanimously.