SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1919, Page 7

SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION.

A - COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE. (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. The Shearers' Accommodation Bill, promised Dy the Prime Minister several weeKs ago, has just made its appearance. The Bill provides for inspectors, and defines the powers to be exercised by them. Every inspector is to have the right to enter all sheading sheds in Which shearers are employed, or any of the shearers' sleeping or eating quarters. The Bill proposes that every employer shall be required to provide '.suitable accommodation for the persons employed by him as shearers. The accommodation is not to be deemed to be sufficient unless there are separate sleeping and dining quarters, unless there is a sufficient supply of furniture, of the necessary utensils, of drinking and washing water, and unless proper provision is made for lighting, heating, ventilation, and sanitation. The minimum air space per person in the sleeping quarters ; 3 to be Sit least 4SO cubic feet. Immediately prior to the employment of shearers in any season, the shearers' quarters are to be fumigated and disinfected by the employer, to the satisfaction of the .juspector. Suitable provision is to be made for the storing of meat and other perishable food for the use of shearers. Suitable first aid appliances are to be readily fivailable. Power is given to the inspector to dispence with, or modify, any of the foregoing provisions as to accommodation in the case of any accommodation provided before the coming into operation Of the Act, in any case where he is satisfied tnat, owing to special circumstances, it has not been possible to provide the accommodation required by the Act. In the case of shearers living near their work, and in any case where he is satisfied that any such requirement is unnecessary, an employer may appeal to the Magistrate against the decision of the inspector, and the Magistrate may confirm, modify, or cancel the notice given to the employer by the'inspector. If the employer fails to comply with any notice or order by the inspector, or the Magistrate, he is to be liable to a fine of £25, and to a continuing penalty of £2 per day for so long as,, he shall fail to comply with such direction of the inspector, or the Magistrate. Shearers are to keep the accommodation clean, and a penalty of £5 may be incurred by any shearer ioi wilful damage to any of the property of the employer.

Every employer is required to give to the inspector at least one month's notice of tin date on which he intends to begin shearing, and, if he fails to give such notice, he is to be liable to a fine of £25.

Power is being taken by the GovernorGeneral to make regulations prescribing the details of the accommodation to be provided, and for the maintenance of this accommodation in a clean condition. A general nenalty of £25 is provided for offences against the regulations to be so made.