The Wanganui Chronicle. AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1901. THE NEW FACTORIES ACT.

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 November 1901, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle. AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1901. THE NEW FACTORIES ACT.

Tnis Factories' 'Ait, Fbiph v*as passed by Parliiiment last se»Bio», *tfl<_i H'Jfich is now in force, includes a large numbei' uf new provisions and amends the old law very considerably. In:the definition clauses the amendments affect bakehouses, buildings used for q-^flin purposes by Asiatics, and all laundries, wjipfijep fhe persons employed in them receive paymeßf qj/ n;;t. The definition of "child" in the AeJt «f 1894 is dropped, and the interpretations generally are altered "and extended. "Male worker" means every male over sixteen yearn of age, "woman" means a female irrespective of age. and "twy" /neans a male"under the ago of sixteen. The jjF^yisions regarding regirfrrtion ere practically unaltered, ex cspi that employers now s must supply sketch plans of-the-proposed "factories to tho Inspector for approval. Certificates ol registration in force on December 31st, 1901. will coatisttii' in force until March 31st, ISO 2. Impojtapj; amendments have been maclt in the clauses xt&aifgg to the hours of^laboui*. Male worjee^-s must not be employed for more than forty-eight

hours, excluding meal-time:;

in any week,

nor for more than eight hours and threequarte'rs in any one day, nor for more than five hours continuously without an interval

of at Jcar£ three-quarters of an hour for

a-meal. tWt.ij+j industries and classes of employment are escepted. No woman or boy may bo employed in or ajxjyj; a factory

for more than forty-five hours, excluding

meal times, in any one week, nor for more that! {f)Ui hours and a quarter continuously without fl# interval of Ht least threequarters of an bom' &*{? "fj, meal, nor later than one' o'clock in the afteni<>4?) of the hp.lf-holiday. Women cannot work between the hours of six o'clock in the evening and eight in the monijpg following, and boy? cannot' bo employed belWe 7/;5 sum. nor

later than 6 p.m. The Inspector myy ex-

tend the morning limit to seven o'clock., provided the- daily maximum of eight hours and a quarter i# pot exceeded. The provisions are modified in the/}' application to the employment of women and boys in woollen mills. The overtime question if--dealt with very explicitly. The working hour!) for women aod boys HW.y be extended for not more th;ui three hoais in any day, nor for more than two consecutive days in any week, and on not more than thirty days in a year. The minimum rate of payment for overtime is one-fourth a? much again as the ordinary rate, and when payment is by time r.nd not by piece, the minimum rr.te is fixed at 6d per bout- for thosu whoss wages (ire not greater than 10.s a week and 9d per hour for all others. Occupiers of factories are required to keep an "overtime book." recording correctly the .def.ails of all work done in the extended hours. jß&rjiament has evidently set itself to protect wiac^ .and boys in factories in every possible direction. Tln; aro jiigit t>> hi; permitted to take their meal.'in the wc-rkyooflji floy to spend the meal time in the room, Atltuojigii/f tj;p Inspector may relax thiff jjrovifion jii tb.Q cr.vs oi

mall factories. Aiiotlur of these protective

provisions occurs in clause 26. Hub-section 3, which requires occupiers to deliver up to the Inspector any certificate they may hold regarding a boy or girl who has oea-setf to be in' tjjeir employment. "Tiie

Emplvygfte-njt. .«/ Boys or Girls Without

Payment l'j:cv i en.iioj : i jlr.b, 1899," is repealed, nnd.tK'jjtion 31 of the j).t-.\v provides

chiit all boys and gjrl-s undei- sixteen years of age siliall receive not Jess than 5s per

iveek as wages, and thereafter nil annual

increase of not less than 3s per week till they reach tho age of twenty. The wages iii;M, be paid in full at intervals of not ,uore tluij;i # fortnight. The health and '.afe-ty <A .-employets,-) generally are protected •)y ftriiigfliit provis^oin.s. the, clauses

relating to accidents axe simplified, and he Tuhpectw js given greater power than 'rith'erto isi lequirjng the proper sifeguardiflg of machinery i\j]{l daiigerous appliances.

?ire escapes must bo erected in connection

•vitli all factories in which more than three rersons are employed on an upper floor.

he Act. does not relate solely to employers and workers, of course, and we have i;)erely selected some of the most important of the new and amended provisions. 3'aaoiiit.s of young workers may be reminded tfouit (they are not divested of their res- } jn«sfci|lit;ie.s suid duties. The psirent of a l;oy or gii-1 ujide^ si-^teen years of age who

■».■! employed tn a factoi.y qpntrary to the j.i-ovisions of the Act, wifhfliit haying ob- i ( ined ;i certifioalo of fitness ftuw. fAic In- j

.'vector, for instance, is rendered liable to

;■ penalty not exceeding five pounds for the o't'ence, and k> a, further penalty not cxcoding "one pound for each day during v.hicli .*ho .otfence continues. Employers v. ould do weli io mitke themselves thor-o-ighly conversant with the provisions of

tli-2 new Act without Uelav