THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1892.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8986, 17 September 1892, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1892.

♦ ' But very lately we had occasion to notice the importance of personal cleanliness, and the advantage to health as well as to comfort of frequent changes of underclothing. It is there fore with great satisfaction that we hail the introduction by Mr. Buckland of a Bill into Parliament entitled the Washers and Manglers Act, 1892, which is to come into force on the first day of January, 1893. Of the necessity of some such enactment in Wellington during the Parliamentary session, the author of the proposed measure is probably well aware but keeping in view the great principle of sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander, the honourable gentleman, philanthropically desirous that the advantages of his scheme should be extended to the public at large, has embraced all classes of the community in its provisions. The Bill, although conceived under the most advanced views of modern hygiene, is quite of a conservative character, the whole field of washing and mangling operations being restricted to females, as has ever been the case in the western world, the only concession made to males in this respect being the privilege • of turning the handle of the mangle, a post which has been yielded to them, no doubt from a consideration of the admirable manner in which that duty was performed under very trying • circumstances by the late Mr. Man--1 talini, no less than from a conviction of the superior muscular power of the male arm. But while recognising the philanthropist in this sanitary enact- ) ment, we cannot avoid observing the prescient politician, who, while dei sirous of conferring a great blessing ' upon mankind, is no less alive to the I advantage of utilising the future female vote. In elections to come, there will no doubt be seen flaming placards

inviting the electors to vote for Buck land and clean shirts, and as a result 61 the beneficial influence of, soap and water, that honourable gentleman will :>e carried home shoulder high by a powerful bevy of licensed washerwomen ;o the great annoyance of his female 'datives who have voted against him to i woman because a'" prophet has nc lonour in his own household. In this Important Bill, wash is defined to mean, imong other things, soiled linen of all varieties. Now, we fear that such a wide explanation may open the door to a ?ood deal of poaching upon the washing ind mangling, preserve to; be thereby sreated, inasmuch as there appears tc be a difficulty under the Bill in dealing with the large sessional accumulator. af dirty linen, which it is one of the most cherished privileges of Parliament to wash coram populo. It is quite cleai that if the Bill should pass as it now stands such exhibitions might become the subject of an injunction by the Supreme Court ; or supposing members to persevere in claiming the right t( wash and mangle their dirty linen it their own way, then the aggrieved monopolists might claim to be heard a 1 the bar of the House, an invasion which might have the effect of establishing soapsuds as a constitutional power. In any case the defence ot their rights by female tongues would be of an energetic kind, and in order tc avoid an unseemly conflict it might be well to add a clause to the Bill bj which the rights of- Parliament in the matter of dirty linen' should be saved. Again, considering the important functions devolving upon washerwomen under this Act, does it not seem iesirable to protect the corporation and the public by some stipulations more efficacious as to character and ability than the mere certificate of four justices ind one policeman. In the first place, those functionaries could only testify that the applicant had never been run in nor convicted, a very negative qualification, while the former are unfit tc luclge of any special suitability for such i position. This ques,tipn could only be disposed of by a board of experts ttting along with the Ministers deviated for special duties under the AV and the points for settlement wow naturally have reference to the a pt Vide of the candidate for getting into water and for acting well her part When there, of maintaining an aniraaw gossip upon things in general while p-rsUing her calling with vigrur, also of bfag able to imbibe according to immemo%l custom unnumbered cups of the infujon which cheers but not inebriates, up, n the sole condition that the glass "Wvich not only cheers but also inebriateijs absent from the entertainment. Cafaiidates ought also to be sound upon the\,Hy question and not inclined, while go\ (g over the count, to lay too much stress! upon the destructive effects upon of hot water in combination with attrition. No doubt under those influences some very useful articles of clothing are supposed to have disappeared, but as discussions upon such subjects might involve abstract and science points, they are wisely left to the decision oi the Auditor-General, who depots as tc the facts observed by him, leaving the penal aspect of .the case ,to the determination, of the Minister of Public Works. Why the latter should have been left to deal with the delinquencies of Betsy Prig does not appear, but probably the matter has,,been decided upon the principle of, to him, tvho ha'Ji to him shall be given, that is to say, tin more engrossing the duties of anj high official, the greater the burden tc be laid upon him. Thus the Auditor General, who not long ago was com plaining of the overwhelming amoun of work in his office, is expected te examine personally every wash oi mangle respecting which there is ar alleged difference between the list mad( out by the sender and the number oi articles returned to him. Of what kinc of material the said auditoris to be made the Bill does not provide, but it is consolatory to think the poor man is to be relieved of the duty of punishing the guilty party. Already three high - placed dignitaries are to be utilised in carrying out the Bill viz., the Minister of Public Works the Minister of Labour, and the Audi-tor-General, and the danger is imminent that the comprehensive and constantly recurring nature of the work to be done will invade every bureau in sue cession, and ~so tend to making the members of the Government of New Zealand mere slaves of the tub. How ever, forewarned is forearmed, anc there can be little doubt but that whet the Bill gets into committee the friends of cleanliness will come to the rescue of the author, who has undertaken i task too weighty to be borne by one man, and will suggest such amendments as may ensure a constant supply oi Ministerial and official interference As by the Bill the Auditor-General is bound to compile a report of all washing and mangling performed during the financial year, such return to be presented to Parliament within ten days oi its opening, there can be no doubt that the annual discussion thereon will be the great event of the session, while members will no longer be known as Ministerialists and Opposition, but as white xnd brown skins, the colours being the supposed result of the use of soap and water made by the parties respectively, i distinction which lends itself admirably to the different shades of political opinion pervading the complexion of ;he Legislature. While discussing the mportant duties of Ministers in respect )f this Bill, those of the Minister of Labour are deserving of especial men;ion, he being the Board of Conciliation "or all sudden disputes between licensed washerwomen and other persons. The powers of this functionary being conined to persuasion, what if he fails? what if he cannot be found ? This much nay be gathered from such a provision, ,hat the occupation of washer or nangler probably exercises an irritatng effect upon the temper; but if the Minister of Labour should be herself a voman, no doubt she will be inclined to nake full allowance for such a feminine weakness. - ■•' ->'-~. ,* ■'~'■• ; v{-;-