AUCKLAND EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8930, 14 July 1892, Page 6

AUCKLAND EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION.

The usual meeting of the Auckland Employers' Association was held last evening, and some of the Bills introduced in the present session of Parliament were considered.

REPORT ON GAMBLING.

The following report on " Gambling" was read and adopted :—

Your committee have to report that they have carefully considered the question of gambling, and find that it prejudicially affects employers of labour generally, and exercises a demoralising influence upon many individual members of the mercantile community. They found that a very large sura of money passes through the totalisator yearly, and that it is such a source of public revenue that the Premier has opposed its abolition on that ground. According to one of the daily papers a sum of £62,500 was paid last year to the Government and the racing clubs for taxes and commission respectively. The Master Bakers' Association has passed a resolution endorsing the action of the public meeeting which was held last month, to petition the Legislature to discountenance the prevailing gambling practices of the day, and abolish the totalisator. Other persons have also testified to the loss of time and money, and the general injury to tradespeople through gamming. There seems to be a general impression that the totalisator encourages an excessive number of race meetings, and that many persons bet through the machine who would otherwise not bet at all.

Your committee feel that although it is probably impossible to entirely suppress gambling, excesses in that direction may be checked, and the Government ought not to publicly countenance a demoralising practice for the purpose of increasing the revenue. They therefore suggest 1. That an amendment in the Factories' Act be made imposing a penalty for betting in factories, and that inspectors of factories should be authorised and empowered to enforce the proposed amendment. 2. That the Colonial Secretary be petitioned by the Employers' Associations throughout the colony to discountenance and restrict the use of the totalisator if it be impossible to abolish it; and that the other Associations be invited to co-operate in this movement in the interests of business men.

3. That all employers be urged to use their influence to deter their employees from gambling, and post up notices that gambling on their premises is prohibited. 4. That employers and others should encourage and support the formation of literary, debating, and athletic clubs, as a counterattraction to young men, many of whom gamble because their minds are not occupied with some laudable pursuit after business hours.

5. That the Government be urged to empower the postal authorities to stop all open communications from promoters of sweeps passing through the Post Office.

Your committee are of opinion that the great prominence given bv newspapers to reports of sensational stakes won by individuals, at the cost of thousands of losers, exercises a disturbing effect on the masses, and leads to gambling in the hopes of becoming hastily rich.

employers' liability bill and the

TRUCK BILL. These Bills were considered, but the further discussion of them was adjourned. shop hours' bill. With regard to the Shop Hours' Bill the following resolution was carried :—" That if the Government introduce a Bill making a half-holiday compulsory, this Association is of opinion that the same day should be proclaimed for the whole colony, and that Saturday afternoon is now recognised as the most suitable time."

property law consolidation act amendMENT bill.

This Bill, which has been introduced into the Assembly by Mr. Shera, was considered, the most important clause being the third, which is as follows :—

No contract or covenant, whether in any mortgage deed or in any other instrument, whereby the mortgagor contracts or covenants to pay the principal moneys secured, charged, or advanced upon any mortgage of any lands or hereditaments, shall, from and after the coming into operation of this Act, have any force or validity at law or in equity.

The members present regarded this measure and this clause as a restraint upon trade, but the further consideration of the subject was adjourned till next meeting.

CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS AND insurance SCHEME.

•The following regulation, No. 42, attached to the proposed Civil Service Pension and Insurance Scheme was considered. It is as follows :—

42. Subject to the provisions of the Act no assignment, charge, or other disposition made by any officer of moneys so standing to his credit in the Public Trust Office, shall be valid or effectual in law or in equity ; nor shall any such moneys be attachable, or liable to be taken in execution by the process of any Court, or be available for distribution among the creditors of such officer iu case of his bankruptcy.

It was resolved " That this Association is opposed to this regulation, as it considers it would be a direct encouragement to public servants to defraud their creditors."

The secretary (Mr. Ewington) was instructed to have copies of the report of the meeting printed, in order to their being forwarded to members of Parliament, and to kindred Employers' Associations throughout the colony.

In the agricultural statistics lately published there are no returns about sheep, these animals belonging to another department. But it is gratifying to learn that breeding and milking cows are gradually on the increase, though that increase is more apparent in the North than in the South Island. The following table will be interesting as showing the number of cattle and cows for each provincial district for the years 1890 and 1892

From the above table it will bo noticed that while the number of cattle in the colony is less this year than in 1890, breeding cows have increased upwards of 15,000. This increase, however, has to be credited to Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, and Wellington. There has been a decided decrease in the number of cattle and breeding cows both in Canterbury and Otago. Two years ago Auckland had the largest number of cattle, as well as the greatest j number of breeding cows, of any of the provinces, and she still maintains the lead- j ing position. The proportions of breeding or milking cows at the present time appear to be as follow North Island, 187,356 ; South Island, 100,347. It may therefore reasonably be expected that the output of butter and cheese will, in the future,. be much greater in the North than the South Island—that is, if dairy-farmers take advantage of their position in having the largest quantity of cows. Having the cows, the next thine; is to have plenty of grass ; for it has been demonstrated over and over again that the best milk and the richest butter are produced by oattle that graze on good pasturage. No feeding—however scientificcan beat grasses and clovers for milk production. And it is good grass butter that is in such demand for export. In their butter report, dated May 13, Messrs. Cruickshank and Co., of London, thus wrote "We are prepared to make the usual cash advances through our bankers or agents, from October to February, on all the finest butter that can be sent, as the demand for grass butter daring these months is practically unlimited, and the antipodes is the only place it can come from during our winter." Another firm on the same date wrote as follows about the butter industry The industry has now been established upon a broad basis, with capabilities for very great development, and now that the mother country is rapidly outgrowing the prejudice against butter from the antipodes, the prospects of the trade may be considered as very encouraging." Having, therefore, the cows and the necessary pasturage, New Zealand dairy-farmers should give all the support they possibly can to butter factories, in order that a uniform quality of butter may be shipped away to meet the wants of consumers in the old country,

Provincial Cattle. i Cows. | tit.;!.', ; Cows. Districts. 1890. | 1830. j J •'•J-'. ; 1S92. Auckland.. .. 190,110 j 66,740 ! 190,-J 1.0 1 70,000 Taranaki .. .. 99.S86 31,108 109,936 44,201 Hawke's Bay .. 53,379 10,319 50,318 18,437 Wellington .. 152,621 49,374 131,131 54,658 Marlborough .. 9,327 3,309 7,80 I 2,839 Nelson .. .. 28,712 10,788 30,89 > 10,639 Westlancl .. .. 6,341 2,157 U,S99 2,251 Canterbury .. 88,126 35,601 64,924 29,970 Otago .. .. 143,856 56,628 128,160 54,628 Totals.. .. 772, | 272,141 740,033 287,703