H.—s

XII

Wellington, 24th April, 1890. The Commission met at 10 a.m. Present: Messrs. Fulton, Thompson. Blair, and Cherry. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Messrs. D. M., lately employe 'Bus Company; D. N., night porter; E. H. Duncan, Inspector of Nuisances; D. 0., printer ; D. P., cabinetmaker; and D. Q., cabinetmaker, were examined and gave evidence. The Commission sat from 10.30 to 12.30 in the morning, and from 7.30 to 9 in the evening

Wellington, 25th AruiL, 1890. The Commission met at 10 a.m. Present: Messrs. Fulton, Thompson, Blair, and Cherry. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Masters H. McEwan and William McX wan, recent arrivals from England ; Mrs. I). R., a cook ; and Mr. F. W. Beaumont, gave evidence. A gentleman also appeared before the Commission and made a statement on long hours of bank-clerks and clerks in mercantile houses. The Commission sat from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 7.30 to 8.30 in the evening, and then adjourned till 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, the 80th instant, to consider report.

Wellington, 80th April, 1890. The Commission met at 7.30 p.m. ['resent: Messrs. Fulton, Thompson, Jones, Allan, Wright, and Cherry. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Commissioners considered draft report, and adjourned to 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, Ist, May.

Wellington, Ist May, 1890. The Commission met at 7.30 p.m. Present: Messrs. Fulton, Jones, Allan, Waddell, Wright, Thompson, Cherry, and Blair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Four of the Commissioners visited, in the afternoon, the following factories : Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains, drapers; Mr. Thompson, clothing-factory; the Evening Press printing office ; Messrs. Hannah and Co., boot-factory ; Mr. James Smith, Te Aro House, draper, &c. Ln the evening the Commissioners considered tho draft report. The first two paragraphs were passed with amendments. In place of the third paragraph, Mr. Waddell moved, "If the usual definition be understood—namely, sub-contracting—we have not found much evidence of that; but if sweating be held to include long hours and low wages we have had abundant testimony of such. Almost all the evidence goes to show that in every unorganized branch of industry, not only are the hours unreasonably long, but the wages are exceedingly low, in many instances below a living minimum." On a division, there voted for the amendment Messrs. Allan and Waddell ; against, Messrs. Thompson, Wright, Jones, Cherry, and Blair. The original words were therefore retained. Mr. Thompson moved to add, at the end of the paragraph, the words, " assisted where possible by legitimate trade combination." There voted for the addition Messrs. Allan, Thompson, and Waddell; against, Messrs. Blair, Cherry, Jones, and Wright. Clause 1 was passed with amendments. In clause 2, page 2, it was moved by Mr. Blair to strike out the last sentence, which read as follows: "This is particularly manifest among restaurant waiters, butchers, bakers, tramway employes, dairymen, and, in a lesser degree, shop-assistants." On a division, the sentence was struck out, there voting for its retention Messrs. Allan and Waddell; against, Messrs. Thompson, Blair. Wright, Jones, and Cherry. Clauses 3, 4, and 5 were passed with amendments. The Commission adjourned at 10 p.m. till 10 a.m. next day.

WELLINGTON, 2ND MAY, 1890. The Commission sat at 10 a.m. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Present: Messrs. Fulton, Thompson, -lones. Cherry, Blair, Allan, Wright, Waddell, and Fisher. Clause 0 was passed with amendments. Clause 7 was passed without amendment. The postponed paragraphs were struck out. Page 3, paragraph 1 : Mr. Blair moved to strike out the concluding words, " but where no unions exist the reverse is generally the case." On a division, there voted for its retention Messrs. Waddell, Fisher, and Allen ; against, Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Jones, and Wright. The words were therefore struck out. Paragraph 2 passed, without amendment. Paragraph 3 was passed with amendments. Paragraph 4 : Mr. Jones moved to strike out all the words after "evidence," in second line. These words were, " but they have also a prospective reference to what may be expected to occur as population increases, and the struggle for existence becomes keener. It is much easier to enact