THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12937, 17 October 1907, Page 5

THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

AN INTERESTING PUBLICATION. (•FECIAL TO "THI FHMS.") WELLINGTON, October 15. The Labour Department has issued a publication giving an account of ite own organisation and work. It is well printed on line paper, and contains numerous illustrations, amongst which are portraits of the late ilr Sedcion, »ir Joseph Ward, the Hon. W. P. tteeves, the Hon. W. Hail-Jonee, the Hon. J. A. Miller, Mr JBdward Tregoar, and the late Mr James Mackay. lhere aro pictures of shearers' Bleeping quarters, old style and new style, showing a great contrast; of workers' duellings, groups of navvies on the North island Trunk Railway, and of English navvies with their wivee and children en route to the railway works. The Department was started in I8 l Ji by the late Hon. John Balianoe for the purpose of trying to meet the "unemployed difficulty,'. , which was at that time in pressing existence in all the larger towns. The pamphlet now issued give* the history of the Department, and a summary o£ the different Acts dealing with industries and labour; The Department, which began in a modest way with a staff of Messrs Tregcar and Mackay alone, has now increased to 63 members. The pamphlet states that the Department haa the interests of 75,310 factory workers and 29,141 shop assistants in its charge. Tho Department's correspondence, especially from America, regarding the compulsory arbitration Jaw is increasing with every mail. It is also stated that many thousands of newcomers have sought the advice end assistance of the Deoartment, nnd that it wou'd he difficult to estimate the number who owe their first start in life in the colony to the agency of the Department.