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Wednesday, 21st August, 1901. Me. James Young examined. (No. 17.) 1. The Chairman.'] What is your name ?—James Young, general manager of the New Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union. 2. What do you represent ?—The dairying industry. 3. Is that for the whole of the North Island?—l am president of the Dairy Factory Managers' Association in addition to that. Mr. Harkness, president of the National Dairy Association, is also present. 4. Will you kindly give us your views on the Factories Bill now before the Committee ? —Well, gentlemen, every one knows that the dairying industry is essentially a summer industry. It is only during four or five months of the year that we have the busy season, and if the hours of labour are restricted I do not know how it could be carried on, because the product—cream—is a perishable article, and it must be turned out the same day as it comes in. Of course, the separating is done in the morning owing to the farmers coming in early. Then the cream has to be allowed to ripen before you can churn and cool it; after this, it has to be worked, stored, and packed, so as to make room for the next day's supply of cream that is coming in from the different creameries. In the wintertime, of course, it is like three days' work a week with us, and at the most six hours a day. If we are brought under the operation of this Act it will simply ruin us. Instead of the men being kept on- in the winter-time and getting the same wages, we will have to pay them off, and they would be idle; and, further, it would require two staffs. That means two managers, because it is the manager of the factory who is responsible for the output of the factory, and he has got to be there to see the cream before it is made into butter. And the same with regard to cheese. Of course, the milk in the cheese-factory has to be left out until the milk is in a proper condition to make it into cheese. That necessitates our being a little later in the day; on other days it is quick, and can be put through rapidly. After the great help the Government has been to the dairying industry, it would be simply knocking this industry on the head if it were brought under the operations of this Act, because the Land for Settlements Act would be no good without the dairying. The land on which creameries are put the farmers could get nothing for, and the land would be of no service if it were not for these creameries. If we have the competition in the Old Country—that we will have in the coming season, and in the future—it will take us all our time, with all the facilities that we have, to make the industry pay, because, with regard to the sale of butter, the greater part made in the colony is exported and sold for what it will bring in the Home market; and competition is becoming so keen indeed with all the different countries going into dairying that if we are brought under the operations of this Act it will simply mean that we will not be able to make it pay. In regard to the country factories, I dare say they may be working perhaps ten hours a day in the summer; but in the winter-time they work three days a week, or, at the most, in other factories, perhaps about six hours a day ; and if we have got to put on two staffs and pay overtime in the summer season, it means that the men will be shut off in the winter-time. Ido not know that I have got any more that I can say, Mr. Chairman. But the present cows that we have got have to be milked six or seven days a week, and if we could get them only on six days a week and have no Sundaywork, of course it would be the making of the dairying industry. The Sunday's cream has got to be brought in in the morning, and it necessitates double work on that day, and of course that throws the operations of the whole week back. I think, gentlemen, that is all I have got to say in regard to this branch. Mr. William Mitchell examined. (No. 18.) In reply to the Chairman's invitation to give his views on the Bill, Mr. Mitchell said : I will indorse all Mr. Young has said. 5. The Chairman.] What do you represent ? —The Cheltenham Dairy Factory, and I do not think our employes work, taking the year through, more than forty-four hours a week; in the summer-time they work longer hours. At this time of the year we take it in turns going for a month's holiday. There is no necessity for the men to work on in the winter, and if we were brought under this Act Ido not see how we could carry on at all in the summer-time. It is not necessary, after what Mr. Young has said, for me to say more. 6. Mr. Bollard.] If you were brought under the operation of this Act, the only way you could work would be by having a double staff ? —That is so. 7. How much would that increase the cost of production ?—lt would do so by quite half— quite double, or nearly so. 8. The greater bulk of the butter produced by the factories in this colony is sent Home to compete against the world ? —That is so. 9. What would be the result if you were compelled to have a double staff, and increased cost of production : you would have to give the farmer less ?—The factories belong to the farmers. 10. This would come out of the pockets of the farmers?— Yes. 11. And, in your opinion, would not improve the condition of the worker ?—lt would not. If a concensus of the opinion of the workers were taken, they would themselves say it could not be done. 12. That is to say, if they were employed for four or five months a year, the remainder of the year they would be idle ?—We would simply have to shut the dairy factories down. 13. Mr. Hardy.] Do I understand you to say the creameries are working on Sundays as well as other days in the week ?—They are working every day except in the winter-time. In the wintertime they are only working every other day. 4—l. 8.