THE INDUSTRIAL WOULD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4742, 6 September 1893, Page 1

THE INDUSTRIAL WOULD.

♦ Items of Interest to Workers. ' '{Specially Compiled for the " Stas."J sweating in victoria, The report of the Commission which has been enquiring into the reportad prevalenceof sweating in Victoria shows that j the evil in question undoubtedly exists there, and that it is due largely to the ; presence of a numerous and poverty- j stricken : body of what are called "outdoor" workers. It points out that: -two distinct classes of " outdoor " workers ' combine from entirely different etand--point3 to reduce prices. The one class ! consists of those who do not depend upon ] work for their livelihood, but who take it ! ont Bimply with the view of supplement- . ing the earnings of their parents or relatives, or for the purpose of obtaining j " pocket money." The other cliss com- ; priS93 those who are obliged to take j work out in order to live. The necessities j of this class are co keen, and the supply of ■workers of this kind co great'y in excess of the demand, that tho comp.t.tlon forces them to accept any price for their labour that; may be offered them. SWEATING ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. The allegations with regard to alleged j *' sweating " in connection with Victorian Government contracts for the Bupply of clothing for the Defence Force are dealt •with by the report of the Sweating Commission. One of the witnesses, a tailor, who took work out from one of the Government contractors, alleged he was paid 3s for making military great coats, and that now he could not get the work to do, as it was being carried out for 2e. He had also made military jumpers for a well-kncwn firm at Is (id each, but had to give it up as he could not make it pay. The assertion that military overcoats were being made for 2a was denied by one of the Government contractors, who stated the price paid by him was 3a, viz., 23 3d for making the coat and 9d for the cape. The Controller of Stores showed that for the class of coat referred to the contractor got 29s 6d, out of which he had to pay 20s 5d for the material, which was supplied by the Government. That left 9s Id aB the amount from which the contractor had to obtain his profit after paying for lining -and making. The Board finds that the Government pays, good prices for the work contracted for.'' It supplies all the material required at a certain sieaified price ; therefore the only competition mußt be in the labour employed in making up the garments, which consequently suffers in the struggle ta obtain the contracts. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION. Amongst the recommendations of the Commission are the following : — That power be given to the Minister to declare the number of persons that shall in future constitute a clothing factory or workroom under the Act. That all persons employing sub-con-tractors, and not directly making up garments themselves, shall register their premises as factories. That all places from which any work of making up apparel for sale ia given ou: shall be registered as factories. That record lists be kept by factory owners of all persons employed inside or outaide, together with tue wages or prices paid to each. That no work be taken home by any employee engaged in a factory or workroom except in cases of emergency, of which a record shall be kept. That power be given to appoint women inspectors in the event of the Minister extending the provisions of the Act to all jtlaces wherein work is done for hire. That all garments manufactured be stamped with a trade mark and name of maker. That a proper constituted system of apprenticeship be adopted under an amended Factories Act. That the fee for a medical certificate to young parsons be reduced from 53, the present charge. That in connection with Government contracts subletting be prohibited; that all work be done on the premises of the contractor under the eight hoars system; and that, as far as found expedient, contracts be let for eaoh separate description 4>f garment. THE ST RISER'S STORY. "The following verses, eat from an exchange, show -what some, though it is to be hoped not very many of the workers in the Old World are ieduced to :— I've got a baby ten months old ; Till I went out on strike, I swear I never had a chance To see what she was like. At any rate, it's a solid fact — And doubtless will surprise You— that till now I never knew The colour of her eyes. All day and half-way through the night The Company would keep Me, and when I was home, the kid, Of course, was fast asleep. 'Twas seldom, even, that I got A good look at her ma ; And baby, bless her little heart, She never saw her pa. Polks say there's compensation for Most every ill in life ; The strike gave me the time to get Acquainted with my wife. And she has introduced me to The kid. I tell you what, I just begin to realise The blessings I have got. For them I'll freeze in winter's cold Or broil in summer's sun ; i Tor them I'll stand in rain or hail, ; Tho' tisn't such great fun. But working all the time, that is A leetle bit too rough ; And wife and I and baby think Ten steady hours enough. LABOURERS WHO NEVER STRIKE. There is one class of labourers (says Woman* Journal) who never strike and seldom complain. They get up at five o'clock in the morning and never go to bed until eleven or twelve o'clock at night. They work without ceasing the whole of the time, and receive no other emolument than food and cloth-* ing. They understand something of every "branch of economy and labour, from finance to cooking. Though harassed by a hundred responsibilities, though driven and worried, though reproached and looked •downupoD, they never revolt:; and they cannot organise for their own protection. .Not even sickness releases them from their post. So sacrifice is deemed too great for them to make, and no incompetence in any "branch of their work is excused. No «aaays or poems are written in tribute of their stedfastness. They die in harness, and are supplanted as quickly as may be. These are the housekeeping wive 3of the labouring men. A DOMESTIC SERVANTS' UNION. In the Old Country, a Society, entitled the London and Provincial Dome;tic Servants' Union, ha 3 been formed with the following objects :— To open a reentry office where employers can rely on obtaining suit&ble servants, the Comm-ifcfcea holding itself responsible to a certain exten'o /or servants recommended fyotn it 3 offices, thaa establishing a reliable centre: :>£ place of the present uusatisfactory, uncontrolled servants' registry office. 'Zo ystablish a home or home) for eerv&nt? cut q£ employment, aa domestic eervputs aow w&3H disengaged have to pub up witb nneuita&lo lodgings at exorbitant cliargca. To make ,ifc compulsory by Jaw that employers give) servants characters (gold,, fcili or indUf-QSCft)' A 3 domestic serrtinta

must rely solely on their character, this cannot but prove of immense value to employer and employed. It is under the consideration of this Union to present a petition to Parliament on this point. To : assist members during illneis, old age, &c. j The Union hopes to regain for its members and patronp that g-ood feeling whioli has existed between employers and serv.nti amicably, as they are opposed to strikes or coercion in any form. This Society iB rna^a^ed entirely by domestic , servants, j jottings. Two advertisements from a daily news- , paper, says the Sydney Worker :— \ Wanted, an elderly "Womnn as General Servant, 10a per month, country, good Lome. Simmonds, , 18S, Castlereagh street. I Wanted, a useful middle-aged Man, 7s per week, , Apply Bos 237, G.P.0., Sydney. Paradise, Australia, isn't it P I A lar^e majority of tho crews of the | Union Steamship Company's fleet have ! intimated their acceptance of the reduction !ia wages proposed by the Directors to come into effect' on Sept. 1. As regards overtime, the Company will adhere to Is for j all ordinary work, but -will pay Is 3d per ■ hour for overtime when working coal or I grain cargoes, and also for beat work at the West Coast ports. There are 850 men out of work in Newcastle (N.S.W.) owing to the curtailment of operations in the collieries, and the destitution is extreme. The Government distributed rations to the extent of £200 in one week. Retrenched Civil Servants in New South Wales are forming a labour settlement under the recently passed legislation.