LAUNDRIES, WHITE AND YELLOW.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 560, 15 July 1909, Page 4

LAUNDRIES, WHITE AND YELLOW.

.'"•————♦—-— ;'.';''•./.-'. DEPUTATION TO HON; J. ■'£ -MILLAR; , • NOW BEINGORGANISED. - ':;; '■'■ ■;■■;• During the next few days Mr. F. M.' B. ■ r ,l . or 'J, J -' will introduco.to tho'Hon. ' J, A. Ahlar, Minister for Labour, a depu- ' latum of •'liurupcan laundry proprietors, who .will urge I no, desirability of amendtnents . to; the law looking towards preventing unfair competition; by Chincso iaundryincn.' It will be pointed out. that European'' laundries, employ almost exclusively femalo ; workers, who arc not allowed to work /(a) ' for more than 45 hours (excluding meal V' limes) in any one week; (b) for. more'than ''■ i 81 hours (excluding meal times) in any ono . day; (c) for moro than 4J hours continu- ■ oiißly without, an interval of at least three-'" auartors of an hour fora meal; (d) at any timo after ono o'clock in the afternoon of ■■'.■" ono working day in each week;. and (o) in ' tho caso of women,;, at, any,timo between . tho hours of six b'clook in theevening;.and a fltiarttr to eight in tho morning. following. • Iho deputation will aslt that .an amend, meut be insortwl after Section 21 in tho Now Zealand Factory Act similar to Section ' ??,)» a '„ of . tho yi'Miisland Factory ■: Act, 1008, and Section 42 of the Victorian Fab-' tory Act, 1007. It is' provided in those' ■'■■- Acta that the provisions applying to female*:. V. shall also upply to all adult males engaged : ' in connection with a laundry as owner, part- , ncr, or employee. There is also a provision to tho effect that if any person offends against tho section ho shall bo liable to a penalty for the .first offence of not; more than £10,' and, for a second or subsequent offence, of not less than £5 or more than 125. and the registration of a factory or workroom .(tho occupier of which is convicted ofa third ."offence) shall bo cancelled. • With regard to prosecutions under tho sections which it •' is proposed should ba' embodied in the New Zealand law, it is provided- that if, at any timo during which' females aro. prohibited from working in any factory of workroomi sounds havo been heard such, as would ordinarily be heard if mado by persona engaged, at their usual work, or during the time any member of the police force or factory inspector was refused ' or could not gain immediate admission, it shall be prima facie proof that the provisions of the sections have been contravened. Vlt is further provided that, in any prosecution, the occupier of the premises shall bo deemed to have worked any employee found engaged during prohibited: hours. It is: stated in a circular recently issued to members of Parliament that the Chinese can bo seen working every evening, Saturday; afternoons, all holidays, and frequently on Sundays. This state of things is asserted to be very ccncral. The circular'-'Concludes; ''You can realise, the feeling'of a'European laundry proprietor in New. Zealand/under such oonditions, and. I trust you will be able to induce the .outhoritios-to-take steps for the passing; of ah Act to, givo redress on .the lines as''indicated; which would mean giving ' employment to a great number of otkenviso . unemployed European: workers." r ' . .;■■'.- ■