WOMEN IN FREEZING WORKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 October 1934, Page 7

WOMEN IN FREEZING WORKS

HARD CONDITIONS ALLEGED MINISTERIAL INVESTIGATION * [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, October 10. In the House this afternoon, after formal business, Mt Forbes referred to the death of the Hon. Roderick McKenzie. A motion placing on record appreciation of the distinguished services he had rendered to New Zealand and expressing sympathy "with his relatives was carried. .Many members referred to the great work Mr McKenzie had done for the country. The House adjourned till 7.30 p.m. In the evening, consideration of the Estimates in committee wa» resumed. On the Labour Department vote, Mr Parry asked if the Minister had anything in his mind regarding giving the worker access to the Arbitration Court. Mr Semple referred to the of a Wellington firm which deducted £1 from the employees’ wages and gave them a share in the business. When he had fuller particulars he would make the facts known.

Mr Langstone moved that the vote be reduced by £5 as a protest against the exclusion of workers from the Arbitration Mr Jordan and other Labour members criticised the employment of women in freezing works. Mr Bitchener said that in the Arbitration Court last year, 58 arbitration cases and 51 compensation cases’ were heard. During the past year, five extra inspectors and also two women inspectors had been employed by the Department. It was news to him that women were employed in freezing works. He said that some work there was hardly fit for women. He considered some attempt should be made to employ men at these works, not women.

Mr Semple quoted extracts from a letter from a lady appointed by the National Council of Women, Auckland, regarding conditions under which women were working in freezing works. It said that girls were working up to their ankles in water, and putting their arms up to their elbows in water gathering the entrails of beasts that had been slaughtered, carrying them to barrels and sorting them. Mr Cobbe said he was a director of freezing works for some years, and never had known a girl to be employed at freezing works. Mr Dickie said he was opposed to women being employed at freezing works, and he suggested a clause should be inserted in the Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill absolutely prohibiting girls being employed at those works’. Mr Jordan said an American foreman had been engaged at Westfield Freezing Works, and American methods were adopted. The Government should take definite action at once.

Mr Young said that as Minister of Health he would have .an inquiry made regarding the conditions under which the women were working. He had no doubt the employers were working within the law, but if it were found the work was jeopardising the health of the women, he would act at once to see the conditions were altered. He would co-operate with the Minister of Labour and probably send a woman doctor to investigate. Mr Kyle said that if women were employed in the running departments of freezing works, it was a scandal. It was time the Government looked into it. If such a thing were found to be so, legislation should be brought down this session to stop it. Mr Bitchener said he would associate himself with the Minister of 'Health and the Minister of Agriculture to improve the conditions, as it was not right that women should work under the conditions mentioned. The amendment was lost by 35 to 22, and the item passed.

RADIO LICENSE FEES. Coming to the P.O. Account, Mr Fraser criticised the zoning system for telegraph rates, and said that it handicapped country districts. He moved a reduction in the vote by £o as a protest. Mr Bitchener, in reply, said tnat when the zoning system was introduced, it was stated it would be subject. to review in a few months. He anticipated that when the PostmasterGeneral returned to the House, he would be able to make a statement re garding it. oc - The amendment was- lost by ob io 22. Mr W. Nash asked if consideration had been given to the reduction in the cost of radio licenses. Mr Bitchener replied that the matter was not fully . considered, but. there was a prospect of a small reduction being made. The Post Office item was passed. The maintenance of public works

and services was also passed. The Unemplyoment Fund vote was next discussed. Mr Fraser asked why the unemployment Board refused to allow the Wellington City Council to subsidise sustenance payments to bring them up to what a man would receive if he were working. Mr Parry asked what arrangements were made for the payment of unemployed during the Christmas holidays. Mr Young, in reply to complaints about incivility to the unemployed at bureaux, said that courtesy cost nothing. He w/?uld have a circular sent ouj. stating that the cardinal rule to l a followed by Departmental officers when dealing with the public was that courtesy must be shown to everybody. Christmas holidays for unemployed weie still under consideration, but the payment would not be less than at last year. Mr Young, answering criticism ol the Unemployment Fund vote, said

the Unemployment Board was endeavouring to persuade the local bodies to supplement relief rates of pay to bring it up to the standard rates. Members continued to criticise the Board and the Government for the policy it was following. Mr Jordan moved that the item be reduced by £5 as a protest. Dissatisfaction was existing as the result of the failure of the Government’s proposals to meet the unemployment situation in town and country. _ Mr Parry said that the amendment was moved with the idea of ascertaining the views of Members of the House, as those who voted against it, apparently approved of the conditions

as these existed at the present time. The amendment was lost by 29 to 18, and the item was passed. Progress' was reported, and the House rose at 3.15 a.m.