SHEARERS’ REQUESTS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 232, 25 June 1921, Page 12

SHEARERS’ REQUESTS

IMPROVEMENT OF ACCOMMODATION

DEPUTATION INTERVIEWS THE MINISTER Representatives of the New Zealand Workers' Union interviewed the Afinister of Labour (Hon. G’. J. Anderson) yesterday in connectm-i with accommodation for shearers. They asked for further improvement of the accommodation, specially in' the cases of farms where th® buildings used bv the shearq&s had been in existence for a number of years. Air. F. IV. Rowley, Secretary of Labour, was present.

Air. A. Cook, assistant-secretary of the union, stated that accommodation was 100 per cent, better Than it had been five years ago. The legislation passed during that period had been effective. But there were still sumo employers who evaded their responsibilities, and it appeared that they' were able to ignore the instructions of the inspectors year after year. The penalties imposed by the Courts when breaches of the ]aw wer» proved were not sufficiently severe tx> compel improvement. The union suggested that a minimum penalty should be inserted in the Shearers’ Aoccmmodation Act. Air. J. E. M’Manus agreed that the accommodation "hud Teen greatly improvedin recent years, taking tho Dominion as a whole. But regulations were required to guide inspectors. He suggested that the regulations governing the provision of accommodiitiou for tlaxmill workers should be applied to shearers’ accommodation. Hute should bo properly- lined, no top bunks should be allowed, and proper mattresses should be provided. Hot water for washing should be provided. and tliere should ba definite provision in the r<%ulations as to dryingrooms and ventilation. A supply of pure water, uncontaminated by animals, should be ensured. In the course of discussion, the members of the deputation said that generally speaking the new accommodation was (satisfactory. But some of' the provisions of the existing law did not apply to accommodaton thaj: had been in existence before tho passing of the Act. The Alinister, in reply,asked that complaints regarding _particular sheds should be placed in writing in order that they might be investigated by the inspectors. He agreed that there should be rules against the contamination of Hu, drinking water supplied to shearers, and he would see that an improvement was made in this respect. He wished tn see the accommodation for Shearers brought up to a common-sense standard, and he would promise to have all tho suggestions of the deputation considered. He was informed by his officers ehat most of the shearing sheds had been improved, and fliat the complaints still being mads were mostly on minor matters.