1.—9.

50

[mb. tbegeab.

the Shops and Shop-assistants Act. There is no possible private time under the system for the recreation and relaxation of the assistant, nor should women and girls be exposed to the dangers of returning home late at night through the temptations and annoyances of a city. A simple provision like that in the Factory Act whereby women and girls are only allowed to be employed between the hours of 7.45 in the morning and 6 o'clock in the afternoon would meet the case." I asked my local Inspector here the other day whether the practice was still in vogue. He told me that it is still in vogue in certain classes of shops. That referred to Wellington ; but it is in vogue in other towns in the colony. i. Mr. Aitken.) To what class of shops do you refer ?—To drapers. 5. Mr. Hardy.'] Is that the custom in Christchurch?—l have not made particular inquiries with regard to Canterbury, but I shall be glad to give the Committee definite information within three days in regard to any town in the colony. 6. Mr. iiidey : Your report refers to 1900 : do they do it still ? Mr. Tregear: Yes. lam not able to state exactly in which towns it is now done, but I know that three or four Factory Inspectors have stated that it is being done. If the Committee desires it I will ascertain where this practice is in vogue. I think, if the Committee could see its way to make the clause relating to the fifty-two hours a week include the specified hour for starting in the morning and that for closing in the evening, it would be of great service. The fact of these girls having to stand the whole time has a very bad effect upon their health. I have here a report with regard to the closing-hours in New South Wales (1903), in which the Inspector says, " A physician informed one of the departmental Inspectors recently that he had then no fewer than ten cases of shop-girls from one city shop under treatment for varicose veins caused by constant standing at the counter. To pat it in the doctor's own words, ' One would think they had been at'the wash-tub for twelve hours a day. If ever they find a horne —well, they will be fit for nothing.' " That is a state of things which I have found all over New Zealand, and I think it points to the necessity of fixing the hours of starting work and leaving off I make the suggestion as being worth the while of the Committee to consider. I would next call attention to subsection (2) of section 3, which provides that for the purpose of stocktaking or other special work the working-hours may, with the previous consent of the Inspector, be extended. In the evidence which has been given before the Committee objection has been taken to the necessity for having the previous written consent of the Inspector, but I would point out that unless that previous consent is given it will be impossible to keep any check upon the number of hours that the employees may be kept at work. When we catch them working late they are always taking stock or marking down goods for sales, or doing some " special work." Whereas in the case of factories, where they get a permit beforehand, we know they are working their overtime properly. If the same provision is enforced in regard to shops we shall know that they also are working their overtime properly in stocktaking or any other special work. Then the section provides that this extended work shall be for not more than three hours on any one day. I should like to see the words "on two consecutive days " inserted. At present this extended work may be claimed on any day. It is claimed for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and so on ; but we consider that in regard to women —and we have to consider them specially —they should not be called upon to work these extra hours on more than two days consecutively. If a woman has done eight hours' work regularly, and then is called upon to do three hours' extra work on any number of nights, she gets home fagged and worn out. No doubt many of them think they are strong enough to do it, but we know better, and therefore we do not wish that they should have to work three hours' overtime in stocktaking on more than two consecutive days. Then the section goes on to provide that " on every such occasion the shop-assistant shall not be employed for more than four hours continuously without having an interval of at least half an hour for rest and refreshment." I would like to see a provision put in such as there is in " The Factories Act Amendment Act, 1902," section 2, subsection (6), that notice should be given to the employees the day before that there was to be overtime worked, or that meals should be supplied to them while they are working overtime. As it is at present, when a girl leaves her home early in the morning to go to work she has perhaps not had time to take much breakfast. She takes her luncheon with her, and she works on until 5 o'clock ; she may then be told that there is more work to be done, and in all probability she has not got a penny in her pocket to buy anything to eat. The Factory Act provides that unless you tell the employees the day before that they will be required to work late the next evening you will have to provide them with a meal, or give them a shilling apiece to provide themselves. I would suggest that there should be a similar clause inserted in this Bill. I now come to section 7, which provides for the Saturday half-holiday. It was stated in evidence that one of the reasons why a general Saturday half-holiday would work badly was that if there were an invited holiday in the same week they would have to observe the Saturday halfholiday as well. Members of the Committee will probably remember that it was stated in evidence that factory-hands were better off in this respect, because if there were an invited holiday in the week they would also get the Saturday half-holiday. I would say that the factory people are worse off. Factory women and boys are paid for certain statutory holidays whether they work or not, but if they take an invited holiday, then they have to go without pay. The men in factories are in a worse position. If a man in a factory keeps even Christmas Day or Good Friday, or takes an invited holiday, he loses his pay for it unless he has a very generous employer. In a workman's family every shilling counts, and if a man takes one of these holidays he has to do so at the cost of losing his pay. I may mention that there is a half-holiday on an election day, and if a shop has to be closed on that day it can open on another day, but if a factory closes down it loses the day. With regard to the Saturday half-holiday, I may say, if you care to have my opinion, that it would be quite natural that I, as an official, should wish to leave things as they are. I have been working away at these shops for years until we have got them into a good knowledge of the law. Still, I can see very great advantages if a general Saturday half-holiday should be given. One