REGISTRATION OF BARMAIDS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12710, 22 March 1911, Page 7

REGISTRATION OF BARMAIDS.

(Per Press Association.")

WELLINGTON, March 20. .Tho Secretary- of tho Hotel Employees' Federation (Mr.'Long, of Auckland), to-day telegraphed: to Mr. D. McLaren. M.P., and Mr Carey, Secrn tary of the Wellington Cooks' arid Waiters' Union, asking them t:> sea tha Minister of Labour to protest against j the forms for registration of barmaids beting sent to licensees. The unions dn each centre should undertake tho responsibility, otherwise much abuse might take place. As a preliminary step, the Labour Department was interviewed in support of tho protest. The position the Union took up was that forms of registration could be obtained at the office of the local Inspector, in smaller centres where there was no labour bureau, from the Sergeant of Police. The intention of the Legislature, it was pointed out, was to confine the employment of women behind the bar to those now in the trade and these dependant on this calling for ji livelihood at the timo the legislation was passed. There was a risk of indiscriminate issuing of certificates. The Labour Department, in reply to retpres&ntakons, made it clear that it did not wis-h to debar any woman genuinely following- tin's calling from'the privflege of still remaining in this class of employment, and so was anxious to see that civcry girl had an opportunity of registering by affording her a chance of easily obtaining a registration form. In addition, the Department did not vvjsh to be put in the position of possibly having to institute proceedings for any abuse of registration without having given full warning of obligaton in .thes matter. There would be no re<nstration without the fullest inquiry into the bona fides of an applicant by inspectors of the Department, and in the smaller centres the police would be asked to co-operate with the officers of th° Department in seeing that the regulations were pro parly complied with. A i>oint of soma 'interest has been raised by a correspondent, who asks whether the period of service necessary to qualify for registration has all to be spent in N.Z. He is of opinion that, as the section stands, ib allows a woman to come across from, say, Sydney, or Melbourn e,atid apply for: registration without fear of refusal so long as within twelve months preceding November 21st last sln> libs bevn employed in a bar for a continuous period of at kiast 3 months As far as can be seen, ho says, there? is absolutely nothing to confine qualifying service to the Dominion. The point was referred to tho officers of the Labour Departmeait by » "N.Z. Times;" representative. They said that as it had not previously been brought under their notice they were not prepared to say what force was in it. If, however, it arose in connection with, any application legal advice would have to be.taken.