PARLIAMENT.

Feilding Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 32, 31 August 1905, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

House of Representatives. Telegraph. Press Association Copyright Wellington, August 80. The House met at 2.80. The Shops and Offices Aot Amend* ment Bill was further considered in committee. A new clause, BA, was agreed to under a misunderstanding, and Mr Seddon promised to recommit the clause later on. New olause SB, which amends the definition of fishmonger by widening it so that he oan sell rabbits, waa adopted. At clause 4, exemption of certain offices from the necessity of closing, providing they pay certain overtime. Mr Aitken pointed out that there was no necessity at present for shipping, telegraph, newspaper, and tramway offices to pay overtime, and he did not see why that obligation should now be plaoed upon them. Mr Hogg said the cities oould, if they wished, have their workers regulated like machinery, but the country districts did not want suoh a thing. They had the employer in the stocks by such legislation, and soon they would be pelting him with cabbages. Mr Taylor thought, in view of the conflict of opinion, a Royal Commission should be set up to look into the whole questions of shops and offices hours, and report within 12 months. Mr Arnold iQhairmanjf the Labor Bills Committee) said SP^embers had received communications, from clerks complaining as to t£iir working hours. New clause 4 A was agreed to. After considerable discussion on clause 4B (payment of overtime in the excepted offioes mentioned in the third schedule), a division was called on the second reading of the clause, which was retained by 80 to 24. Mr Herdman, speaking with particular reference to banks, contended that the clause would give a premium to inefficiency and carelessness, The olauie would operate against the employees, and the excellent feeling that had hitherto prevailed between employer and employee would be completely destroyed. Mr Seddon moved to exempt the following from the provisions of the clause — Cable companies forwarding to agencies of freezing companies, live stock auctioneers, tihippiog companies, newspapers, railways, telegraph agencies, tramways, wool buyers, and wool brokers. This Fas agreed to on the voices.