THE FACTORIES AND SHOPS BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8326, 5 August 1890, Page 5

THE FACTORIES AND SHOPS BILL.

OPPOSITION MEETING IN CHRISTCHURCH. [by telegraph.—press association.] Christchurcu, Monday. A largely-attended meeting of shop keepers and employers of labour was hold to-night to consider the Shop and Factories Bill. It was unanimously resolved, " That, in the opinion of this meeting, the Factory and Shops Bill now before the House is altogether unnecessary, harassing, and calculated to injure the retail trade and industry ; that, the circumstances of manufacture in Now Zealand do not require such legislation, as is evident from the inquiry and report of the recent Sweating Commission ; tho present Employment of Females and Others Act is working satisfactorily, and, if properly administered, is all that is necessary in regulating tho labour in this country." The meeting strongly objected to the inspectors under the Act being appointed otherwise than directly by the Government, and considered that the inspectors duties as defined in the Bill are officious, inquisitorial, and the information required to bo given by the employers will entail unnecessary labour and expense ; that the sanitary provisions of tho Bill are already j fully provided for in the existing Health ' Act; that the clause providing special dining rooms for employees with furniture is oppressive and impracticable ; that the suggested amendments in connection with the employment of female typesetters under IS is unjust and unnecessary; that the closing of manufactories and shops on and payment tor holidays would bo a serious tax upon manufacturers and employers of labour ; that the proposed Shops Bill is unnecessary, and has been proved, after five years' experience in Melbourne of compulsory shop closing, to be unworkable and objected to alike by employers and employees ; that, tho hours shops arc open generally in New Zealand are less, and the pay of shop assistants greater, than in many other parts of tho world ; that tho meeting takes exception to tho proposed exemptions in tho Bill which, if carried, should be general in all cases ; that section 60 is unworkable.