PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 92, 15 October 1914, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL The Legislative Council met at 2.50 p.m. The debate was continued on the question " That the Factories Act Amendment Bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole Council this day." Hon. J. MacGregor refuted the charge of insincerity on the part of the Government in handling the measure, which provides for the reduction of hours of work of women workers in woollen factories from 46 to 45 per week. The evidence in support of the Bill by the secretary of the union was not worthy of being called evidence at all. What they had a right to expect was evidence as to the exacting nature of the work and the trying nature of circumstances of work in woollen mills. The evidence . should have been similar to that which would be given before the Arbitration Court. The Court nob Parliament should deal with a question like thie. Considerable increase* of wages we-re granted under the new award, which came into force on Ist August, 1914, and the basis was dietinctly forty-eight hours a week. Many of the women were on piecework, and by reducing the hours Parliament would reduce the earnings. A woollen mill could not be run in sections, and the output of the mill woukl be decreased by one-eixteenth. Piece-workers* and male workers would have to submit to reduced earnings. The limitation of output was serious, as suitable hands and proper machines could not be got, and competiiion with imported goods manufactured by cheaper labour would become far more severe. The ' cry of long hours was purely a cry of agitators. The wages of women were good, and women could earn from 9d to Is per hour. In England iho hours were 64 and the average earnings were ISs a week for women, whereas at Petone they were nearly 40a a week. The colonial operatives were not as skilful as Home workers. The colonials wert. slower, perhaps by choice, and were not improving, the employer being powerless to speed them up. Hon. George Jones : These statements are scandalous, Who is the author of these statements? " After a ' protest against the interruption, Mr. MacGregor pointed out the difficulty of replacing workers in New Zealand. They had great difficulty in meeting competition of the foreign worker, who dumped hero his surplus stock. There was great danger of loss through carelessness. Where girl and boy labour would be cheaper than adult, they had to employ adults, and, if thingb went on, woollen manufacturers in the Dominion would probably find it cheaper to import. Wages alone were 100 per cent, against New Zealand. This, said Mr. MacGregor, was the kind of evidence that would have been, placed by the employers before the Arbitration Court, and they would have a right to expect evidence in reply. The circumstances of the industry were entirely different from any other industry in the Dominion. It was impossible to reduce the hours of women and boya and carry on the Bill. (Proceeding.) HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. After quite a long _ discussion the Mines Committee was given permission, to sit during the afternoon. The decision was eventually arrived at on tKe understanding that the committal of the Education Bill be adjourned till the evening sitting. The Petitions Committee referred to the Government for favourable consider* ation a petition praying for the remission of death duties in the estate of the late T. W. M'Kenzie. (Proceeding.)