SWEATING ALLEGED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18254, 24 November 1933, Page 11

SWEATING ALLEGED

CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES PROTEST IN PARLIAMENT DENIAL BY MINISTER (per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. During the discussion of the estimates in the House of Representatives to-day, Mr, J. A. Lee (Labor, Grey Lynn) asked what was being done to prevent the widespread sweating of women and boys that was going on at the present time. He said those conditions were the result of the Government s policy, and lie would like ail assurance tnat officers of the Labor Department were doing everything possible to cope with the i situation. There was need for extra vigilance on the part of departmental officers, but he was led to believe that inspectors were afraid to exercise that vigilance because they were afraid of losing their jobs. There was more sweating in the country at the present time than ever before, and he believed that the inspectors had been inspired by the department not to take action. One of the difficulties in the way ot the prevention of sweating was that women and boys who made complaints were afraid to allow their names to be sent forward, because they might lose their jobs. If a Royal Commission were set up, the people would realise Die extent to which sweating was being carried on. The. Hon. A. Hamilton said he could give the House an assurance that officers of the department were asked to be more vigilant than they had ever been, and to watch closely for any signs ol sweating. If members brought along any individual eases they would be investigated. During the present difficult period, it was possible that conditions were more, severe than they had been in the past, but sweating would not be tolerated. Mr. I‘. Fraser (Labor, Wellington C.) said he was surprised at the Minister’s assurance that vigilance was being exercised. At the present time there was no woman factory inspector in Wellington, and without a woman inspector, factory Inspection was a complete farce. Manufacturers in Wellington hacl told him that they laughed at" the inspection carried on in Wellington, and thut they had also told the Minister the siflno thing. The department had been shown a photograph of a false set of books, but it bad declined to take action as it was considered that the photograph might have been taken surreptitiously. Mr. Fraser stated that one set of hooks was kept for private audit, and another lor the signatures of employees. Inspection was not efficient. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, said he had received a number of complaints that local labor officers were hampered because they could not take action without referring the cases to head office in Wellington. This meant that they would have to write an essay about a ease to make head office understand it, and the result was that nottiing was done. He contended that the position was hopeless. Other Labor members complained ot factorv conditions. Mr.* 11. G. Dickie (Goal., Paten) expressed the opinion that no women should be employed in casing departments at freezing works.