A DEPUTATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13484, 26 July 1907, Page 2

A DEPUTATION.

] WELLINGTON, July 26. A deputation from the Waterside porkers' Conference waited on the Minister of Marine last night.

I Mr. D. McLaren, the chief spokesman, said the conference represented four thousand men employed on the Wharves of the colony, and desired to place before the Minister the resolutions arrived at by the Conference. j These resolutions include recommendations to the Government to pass legislation limiting the size of coal baskets and grain sacks; urging the appointpient of Government officers to report bn all cases of accidents at wharves; bayment on behalf of men of full medical fees in cases of accident; the provision jf proper waiting and retiring rooms, with baths, for men working on the wharves ; remission of the duty on flour and potatoes ; the introduction of a Fair Rent Bill; representation of the wharf [workers on the Harbour Boards ; amendment of the Arbitration Act to iriake the Railway Department a party to awards in respect 'to wharf labourers ; the provision of a statutory Saturday hal'f-hdliaav"; t-he exclusion- of Asiatics; compulsion for Harbour Boards, to supjply requisites for first aid on wharves ; nationalisation of food supplies ; and compulsory insurance of labourers. The .Minister promised to do the best ihe could to, have , the size of coal baskets regulated, and he would endeavour ;to have 20Qlbs. fixed as the weight of wheat sacks. He would give instructions to have gear used in coal handling inspected every thre« months. It was 'the duty of every Harbour Board to iprovide first-aid requisites, lavatories, etc. As to the flour and potato duties, those were matters for the Cabinet to decide. As to a White New Zealand, he thought the educational test would prove sufficient to -prevent any great number of Chinese coming into this country. ,