THE HON. MR GARRARD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 38

THE HON. MR GARRARD.

The Hon. Mr Garrard, New South Wales Minister of Public Instruction, made the most of his time in Wellington on Friday. Ho spent nearly the whole day in the Government Buildings prosecuting his enquiries into the working of various departments. From 10 o’clock until about halfpast 12 o’clock he was engaged in the Department of Labour with Mr J. Mackay (chief clerk), who explained to him the entire method pursued there from the time the man out of work has his name issued in the Bureau until ho is given employment. During the interview several factory owners called in to obtain information upon various provisions of the Factories Act as to which they were in doubt, and some eight or nine of the unemployed dropped in in quost of work. Mr Garrard begged that they should be attended to while he waited, and ho afterwards explained that ho derived more knowledge by witnessing the actual working of the department than he would from an hour’s talk. Mr Mackay suppliod the visiting Minister with copies of all printed forms, documents, schedules, etc., used in the department in connection with the factories and the mode of dealing with the unemployed, besides providing him with a bound copy of the labour laws of the Colony. Mr Garrard subsequently had an interview with Mr W. P. Reeves, and obtained from him further information with reference to the Labour Bureau, besides the operation of the system of co-operative contracts. As Minister of Public Instruction in Now South Wales, he also made it his business to enquire into educational matters in this Colony. From Mr Reeves he went to the Lands Department, and was furnished by the Under-Secretary (Mr A. Barron) with full particulars as to cooperative works, the land laws and their administration, and the constitution and powers of the Crown Land Boards. Finally, lie visited the Department of Industries and Commerce, and was instructed by Mr Amelius Smith as to its raison d’etre and mode of operations. A similar department is to bo established in New South Wales in , association with the Stock and Agricul-' tural Departments with which Mr Garrard considers it should have closer relations in this Colony. Mr Garrard left by the Mararoa in the afternoon. He spent Saturday with his brother, who resides in Christchurch, and : he had the whole of Monday to make himself acquainted with Dunedin. On Tuesday afternoon he loft the Bluif for Melbourne, after a trip through New Zealand covering only eight days.