H.—s

XIII

laws now which will be preventive than to put them in operation when custom and vested interest have consolidated evils in our midst." On a division, there voted for retaining them Messrs. Fisher, Waddell, and Allan; against, Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Jones, and Wright. Factories. Paragraphs 1 and 2 were passed with amendments. Paragraph 3 : It was moved by Mr. Jones to strike out the clause. There voted for its retention Messrs. Blair, Fisher, Waddell, Allan, Fulton; against, Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Jones, and Wright. Clause retained. Paragragh 4, " A separate room shall be provided for meals," <fee, on a division, was struck out, there voting for retaining it Messrs. Fisher, Waddell, and Allan; against, Messrs. Thompson, Blair, Cherry, Jones, and Wright. These words were then inserted: " Penalties shall be imposed," &c. Paragraph 5 was struck out. Paragraphs 6 and 7 were passed with amendments. Paragraph 8 was struck out. Paragraphs 9 and 10 were passed with amendments. Paragraph 11 : " All factories and workrooms shall keep a list posted up in a prominent place of the names, ages, hours of employment, and rates of remuneration of the employes." There voted for retaining it Messrs. Fisher, Waddell, and Allan; against, Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Wright, and Jones. Paragraphs 12, 13, 14, and 15 were passed with amendments. Paragraph 16, moved by Mr. Waddell. There voted for it Messrs. Blair, Fisher, Waddell, Allan, and Fulton; against, Messrs. Cherry, Jones, Wright, and Thompson. The paragraph was therefore retained. During the day some of the Commissioners visited the following factories: Miss Booney, dressmaker ; Mr. Dalton, tailor; New Zealand Times office; Messrs. Jones and Ashdown, tailors; Mr. Cathie, tailor; Messrs. Lyon and Blair, bookbinders and printers; Mr. Crease, coffee miller. The Commission sat from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m., and adjourned till 10 a.m. on Monday.

Wellington, sth May, 1890. The Commission sat at 10 a.m. Present: Messrs. Fulton, Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Fisher, Waddell, Wright, Allan, and Jones. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Clause 17 was passed without amendment. Clause 18 was struck out, and the following words were inserted: " Provision should be made," &c. Clause 19, which read, " Employers shall not be allowed to retain their assistants in shops more than forty-eight hours in any week, leaving it to the parties concerned to make their own arrangements as to time," was struck out. There voted for its retention Messrs. Fisher, Waddell, and Allan; against, Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Jones, and Wright. A new clause was moved by Mr. Thompson, and inserted in its place: " This Commission expresses its entire sympathy," &c, the voting being, for its insertion Messrs. Thompson, Cherry, Blair, Jones, and Wright; against, Messrs. Fisher, Waddell, and Allan. Clause 20, Courts of arbitration, was struck out, and a new clause inserted in its place. A new clause relative to the indenture of apprentices was inserted. A new clause relative to bureaux of statistics: An amendment moved by Mr. Cherry, "The Government be recommended to obtain and publish full statistics relating to the condition of the labouring classes, wages, cost of living, and prices throughout the colony," was lost on a division, there voting for the amendment Messrs. Thompson and Cherry; against, Messrs. Blair, Fisher, Waddell, Wright, Jones, and Allan. The clause was therefore inserted. A new clause, "The Government be asked to introduce," &c, was passed without amendment. It was carried, on the motion of Mr. Blair, that the draft report as amended be adopted. A vote of thanks to the Chairman was carried unanimously. The minutes of this meeting were read and confirmed.

iii—H. 5.