I.—B

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59. Are you aware that they retail it at the Taieri for Is. for the summer and Is. 2d. for winter, independent of their output for export, so that their local market is better than their Home market ? —The local market, so far as this Island is concerned, is not as high. Our butter netted us 10d. last year ; it would be better to ship home. 60. I suppose it is the same in dairying as in everything else —one or two brands will get a monopoly?— Yes, I suppose it is the same in the Taieri as here. 61. You do not think that that applies generally ?—No, not in this island. 62. Mr. Hardy.] What is the cost of putting the Taieri butter on the local market?—l do not know much about the Taieri. 63. The Chairman.] Under the same conditions the local market might be better than the Home market?— Whilst the Taieri-Peninsula Milk-supply Company may probably in New Zealand sell for Is. or Is. 3d. the whole of the season's product, you have to recognise this fact: that, if many of the companies fix their price like that with their customers all the year round, in the months of June, July, and August butter may possibly rise to Is. 6d. per pound in this colony, and they will be losing money. Making Is. per pound all round is not making an extortionate rate. 64. They get Is. 2d. in the winter months ?—They are losing this winter. 65. Every winter it is the same ; they get Is. 2d. I suppose you would be quite satisfied to take Is. and Is. 2d. all the year round ? Mr. Young : We would not get that all the year round. Mr. William Fekguson examined. (No. 20.) In reply to the Chairman's invitation to state his views on the Factories Bill, Mr. William Ferguson, secretary of the Wellington Harbour Board, said: I would ask, sir, that the local bodies should be specially exempted from the provisions of "The Factories Act, 1901." Both the interpretation in the existing Act and that in the present Bill are very similar to each other. An attempt was made some years ago to bring the Wellington Harbour Board under the provisions of this Act, but without success. Still, under the strict legal definition of the interpretation of this Act, there is no doubt but that the Wellington Harbour Board may be considered a factory ; and, from various points of view, it is not desirable. I consider that not only Harbour Boards, but all other local bodies should be exempted from the provisions of Acts of this class. We are carrying out statutory duties, and there is no question of our being a factory in the common sense of what a factory is. In subsection (1) of section 2 you define a factory as being a place where two persons are employed in any handicraft. That, I submit, is a very wide interpretation indeed, and I would suggest to you, in passing, that that includes a great many callings and trades which certainly are not factories. For instance, I take it that an architect employing a draughtsman might be brought under the provisions of this Act. The interpretation is very wide. Where the Harbour Board could be brought under the provisions of the Act is in the employment of carpenters, plumbers, and all handicraftsmen of a similar nature, and certain men in the stores; and the whole of the Board's property would be defined as a factory if it were brought under the operations of this Act. Again, under section 3—viz., "Every building, enclosure, or place in which steam or other mechanical power or appliance is used for the purpose of preparing or manufacturing goods for trade or sale, or packing them for transit"—we shall be a factory. That is a clause they tried to bring us under before. " The packing of goods for transit ": We dump wool, and we examine, repack, and dump hemp. Under that provision the Harbour Board might be brought in if the Labour Department so desired it, and, that being so, it would add considerably to the difficulty of our work. There are times when overtime is required for extra work, and then all the various provisions as to keeping records of all persons employed in the factory, and registration, the rates of wages, notices, and all the rest of it, would have to be carried out. I need scarcely tell you that where we have casual labour employed it would mean an enormous amount of clerical work if that were brought into force. I think it is not the intention of the Legislature that the local bodies should be brought in. Mr. Eounthwaite, the City Engineer, accompanied me to the Committee's meeting, and I would ask that he be permitted to give evidence before you.