WAGES BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 7

WAGES BOARDS.

REPORT OF HOME WORK COMMITTEE. (11T TELEGHAril —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COI'YItI 311 P.;

London, July 23. i'ho eommitteo of tho Houso'of'Commons appointed to investigate tlio conditions of homo work Ins mad 6 its roport. It recommends legislation with regard to registration and wages of soma workors engaged in the tailoring, shirtmaking, underclothing, and sonic other tradesj and tho establishment of wages boards to fix minimum wages. REGISTRATION BILL. A SWEATED W,OMAN'S EVIDENCE, In tho 'forties John Stuart' Mill wrote that home work probably ..had a tendency to rcduco all wages; and tho problem of work done in tho home, equally 1 with that of tho factory system, has boon A ,constant subjcct of investigation over silieo. , Tlio eommitteo whoso report is summarised above, is presided ' over by Sir Tlios. Whithiker, tho temporanco and social relormor, and has been taking evidenco for somo timo. |

Tlio proposal of Rir'Chas. Dilko, who has givon so much tjino and attention to those problems, advocates starting wages boards in an experimental, way, particularly in tho tailoring trade and tlio tvado in ladies' underclothing, or "tho; whito trade"; which indus'tries, it will be noted, aro specially mentioned in tho cabled repiirt of the committeo. In so far as it recommends registration of homo workers, the. report" seoins to go on thelinos of a Homb Industries Bill which' was drafted a couplo/of year ago. Under this' Bill it is'not lawful (for any employer, togivo out any work, or materials for tho performance of work, in aiiy trade or industry to which tho Act applies, to ia person to bo done in uny dwelling-place, unless such porson is in possession of a certificate'granted to him under tho ■provisions of tlio Act. A fine not exceeding .CIO is to bo the penalty for breaking the law. Certificates, it isj suggested, should be obtained on application tp H.M. Inspector of Factorios for tho-district, Iwlio shall caitso an inspection to be mado with all reasonable expedition of tho premises to! which tho application relates. If it appears,tci him 011 inspection that, having regard to the health of tho persons to -bo omployed therein and character of tlio work to.be done, tlio! promises are suitablo for-"tho purpose, and are properly equipped with means of ventilation, he shall grant tho certificate. Interim certificates, to remain in forco not moro than ono (month,. or until inspection is made, may bo granted.

Mr. Ernest J^vcs,'who, at tho direction of the Home Officp, investigated the, working of labour laws in; Australasia, reported to the ,dommitteo that 1 ; ho feared that wages boards, witli pnwor to fix legal rates of wages, would break down in "Britain, Officially recognised wages boards,' with pdwor to disseminate recommendations,.and with certain other powers oxorcised by the Department, might bo really advantageous in certain trades. Giving evidence before the/ committee, Mr. W. A. Appleton, ; Secretary to tho General Federation of Trade Unions, gave an account of his experience for many years as one of tho secretaries to the Nottingham Lace Trade Wages Board, which fixed factory rates of piece work in cases of dispute, or for new classes_ of work] for which rates had to bo determined. Such a board for tho fixing of homo work rates would : bo of great advantage, and would prevent, many of the worst, forms of sweating! but he anticipated difficulties if it wero made compulsory at first. The cvidenco. was taken of a homeworker, Miss Holden, who enrned her living by making "Gibson costumes,"such as 0110 shown at the Sweated Industries Exhibition last year by the Women's 'Labour League, with a. label attached slating that it Was made for Is. Id., tho worker finding her own cotton, another woman sewing in the lining bv linnd and nutting on hooks and o.ves for, 2d. Miss Golden produced a.book to show that on October 12 1907, she had received Is. 3d. for nine such costumes and Is. 4d. for six others. Besides the initial cost of her machine, tho needles and repairs were a charge on these earnings, and sho had omnibus faros to pay on returning tho work to the niiddlewoman. Reminded by the chairman that nnot.lier witness. Mr. Cohen, had expressed willingness to nay 3s. 6d! for tho making of such n costume, the witness replied lo_ him that sho had inndo 110 attempt, to get higher payment. Komeworkers could not pet work'direct from the factory in sufficiently small cimmlities. She did not know other workers .with whom sho could enmbino to obtaiu worjc from tho factories direct.