GIRLS PAY PREMIUMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21880, 16 August 1934, Page 13

GIRLS PAY PREMIUMS

THE HAIRPRESSING TRADE STOP TO PRACTICE URGED LABOUR MEMBER'S BILL [BY TELEGRAM —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The second reading of his Shops and Offices Amendment Bill was moved in tho House of Representatives to-night by Mr. C. H. Chapman (Labour —Wellington North). Mr. Chapman said the measure was designed to prevent many young people, particularly girls, being victimised. Ho said a large number of girls paid a premium to learn the hairdressing trade, but when their six months' training was finished, they found that they were not qualified to work on their own. Jn most cases the main idea of those undertaking to teach girls was to obtain the premium. Imparting knowledge was a secondary consideration. The whole thing was a swindle and it was time a stop was put to the practice. People were shrewd enough not to pay wages, otherwise, the Labour Department said it could obtain a refund of the premium. It took three or four years for a girl to become competent at that trade .

Premium ol £52 10s The Hon. J. Bitchener, acting-Minis-ter of Labour, said that while much of what Mr. Chapman had said was probably correct, as far as the department could ascertain there were only 18 girls in Wellington apprenticed, or whatever it could be called, in such saloons. The premiums ranged up to £52 10s for a nine months' course. From the department's point of view tho bill would not achieve what was desired and therefore the Government could not see its way to adopt the bill. Tho parents of very many girls desired to have the girls taught, so the blame to a certain extent lay with tho parents. Mr. R. McKeen (Labour —Wellington South) said the Shops and Offices Act prohibited the payment of premiums and provided for the payment of wages. Girls were trained on models, and when it came to putting their training into practice they could not do so. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour—Wellington Central) urged that the measure should be sent to the Labour Bills Committee to allow evidence on the matter to be heard. Seriousness of the Position , Mr. A. S. Richards (Labour —Roskill) said the position was much more serious than the Minister apparently thought. An inquiry in the main centres would show that many scores of girls had been victims.

Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour —Avon) said the matter was of such importance that he could not imagine the Prime Minister refusing point blank to give sympathy to Mr. Chapman's bill. Mr. JR. Semple (Labour —Wellington East) said the fundamental object of the Shops and Offices Act was to protect young people. The member who introduced the bill had the facts at his finger tips and knew the abuses that were going on. The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, said the proper procedure if the bill was to be sent to a committee was to move the second reading pro forma. If the member in charge of the bill moved in that direction he would not object. The bill was read a second time and referred to the Labour Bills Committee.

HEARING COURT CASES EXCLUDING THE PUBLIC FURTHER POWERS NOT NEEDED [BV TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] ■WELLINGTON, Wednesday "It is not proposed to introduce legislation to provide for the closing of Courts to the general public during the hearing of affiliation and maintenance cases," said the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Justice, to-day, in answering a question asked recently by Mr. D. McDougall (Independent — Mataura) and in connection with which a bill has been promoted by Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Labour —Lyttelton). Mr. Cobbe said there was already adequate power to exclude persons in cases where the Court was of the opinion that such a course was desirable in the interests of public morality and was without prejudice to the administration of justice.

SLAUGHTERING OF STOCK CONTROLLING OPERATIONS POWERS OF THE MINISTER [BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Notice of his intention to introduce the Slaughtering and Inspection Amendment Bill was given in the House of Representatives to-day by the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, Minister of Agriculture. The purpose of the bill is to widen and make more definite the Minister's powers of control over operations of meat-export slaughterhouses. It is understood the bill will give the Minister power to regulate the quantities of the different classes of stock killed. The bill also embodies a proposal in the Meat Export Control Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. W. J. Poison (Government —Stratford) earlier in the session. This bill required export slaughterhouses to kill for any ownerproducer who required them to do so.