CONCERNING INSPECTION OF FACTORIES.

NZ Truth, Issue 78, 15 December 1906, Page 4

CONCERNING INSPECTION OF FACTORIES.

— — «• From time to time one reads m the columns of the daily newspapers the opinions of distinguished politicians and journalists from other lands who 'come here to study and glorify what is termed the "advanced labor legislation" of, what is alleged to he, God's Own Country. The foreign visitors i^j handled by those interested m just such a way as to cause them to, unconsciously to themselves, beccuie saiidv/Khmen, so to speak, m -the interests of the tourist department, frozen meat trade, butter industry, etc., and generally to assist m keeping the London monoy market m a suitable, state of tilth for loan raising purposes. So far this ' 'advanced labor legislation" only serves to benefit Ah Fat. Where does the industrial come m? What 'good effect can any law hays unless it is administered so as to effect the purpose- for which it was enacted ? The popular conception of labor laws is that they are for the purpose of protecting ,the worker m a manner essential to his well-beinec. and' also to secure humane and honorable employers from the disastrous competition of the human vermin by which all trades and businesses are. liable to be infested, -inter alia, it is gene'rallv believed . that the labor laws require that provision shall be made lor the proper observance o£ decency m factories, and' that separate conveniences must be provkieU m establishments where fcmaies are employed Is it a fact that this law is not— as it should be— rigidly enfoi-C---eu■'! Again, the law, ..is •supposed to require - that aU p^ : wer>a.iiy tn machines shall be so placed Witt" j^to Lected as to insure the lowest miniw of risk to, not onl" the o»erato£pSbu;t v.afl persons about the. piace. '&s->orie o£ many- instances showing hbwvthis. )?iw 'is rfiTor^ed ,_l_th_e; Tollowin^ ac-i •mjimb-'-'w-iH I—Jt-iiji1 — Jt-iijii ■' ~ . ago a certain person was remonstrated with by an inspector for not having attended to warnings, .previously given with respect to two machines m. his factory. About three months after the inspector's rebuke, a youth was caught by one of these machines— fortunately a low-speed one or the young fellow would certainly have lost a limb, if not -his life. He escaped, but with the loss of three months' time and the aniount of a doctor's bill. A remarkable thing is that, so far as ■is known, no inspector was seen m that factory m connection with, the accident. A protection was at once put up; at a cost of about three shillings. Now, as to the other machine referred .to by the inspector. It went on m the same old way until a few months ago, when it got hold of a man, and being of high .speed gave him such a doing as to lay him Up for about four months.. He has lately returned to his work, but m a state that will be continually re^ minding him of the discrepancy between the glowing ideas infused into the foreign visitor about our "advanced labor legislation" and the actual and practical benefit thereof. It is as well to note that Avith reference to these- two accidents no one but the victims has had anything to pay. In the meantime the number of cripples,, and partial cripples, is on the increase, our "advanced legislation" notwithstanding;. Is this state of things satisfactory ? Leaving out for the present social and economic aspects, looking at the developments taking place m Asia and this country's relation thereto, when the inevitable arrives New Zealand will require every man it has within, its borders, including youths and greybeards, and the 1 " will require to be m the best possible condition for the work m front of them. New -Zealand cannot allow its Factories Act to be trifled with. :