E. J CAREY

7

I.—9b.

32 There is a large number of employees in your industry who are at present not covered by any award of the Arbitration Court at all?— Yes, there are. They are only covered by awards of the Court in the four centres. tl- 3 R 3 -n YOU ,T ld br T t , hem in if necessa ry?-Yes; but it is a terrible job to get them organized. Ims Bill would cover the lot. b Freberick Reyling examined. (No. 2. 1 The Chairman.] What are you ?—Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council. 2. And appointed by the Trades and Labour Council to appear before the Committee I— Yes 3 You have heard Mr Carey's evidence?— Yes. 4. Is there anything you wish to add?—l did not intend to add anything except this that approves of the main provisions of the Bill as a whole, with the exception of clause 7 and it thinks the half-holiday should be granted. Of course, I am not interested personally in the industries that are to be covered by this Bill, but with regard to anything that is for the betterment of the workers concerning their hours, or anything of that sort, I always try to do my little bit for them, and the Council always upholds my action Mr Carey has entered so fully into the matter and is so conversant with it, that I do not think it is necessary for me to add anything more. •' 5 And you acquiesce in everything he has said?- Yes, I do.

Thursday, 6th October, 1910. Albert Hunter Cooper examined. (No. 3. 1 The Chairman.] What are you ?—Secretary of the Wellington Butchers' Union 2 How many members are in your union ?—2BO-odd—between 280 and 290 3 And have they passed a resolution with regard to this Bill?— Yes, in regard to one particular amendment. b v ■ t /m^t^ 011 to uT h^ h 7°, U re P resent the employees ?-I represent the employees, but I may say that Mr Rod, on behalf of the master butchers, was to have met me here at half past 10 o'clock questton rniUg ' gITC eVldenCe m the same diction as I am giving it. We are at one on the us any luxiVtv t T ?' * ™ 7 that the matter which has caused us any anxiety is contained in the schedule-the proposed amendment to section 18—the latter part of it dealing with the definition of ' fishmonger In the present Act, a fishmonger is defined as a person who sells fish or shell-fish.' It is proposed to extend that to make it read, « fresh Sature ' Th \ _Ml ' v M ™- other perishable goods of a like nature. Iheie has been some doubt m the minds of our members as to the exact definition of toe proposed amendment but from whichever point we look at it, we consider the amendment would be unfair to the butchering trade. We are not quite clear as to whether it will be necessary for a fishmonger to sell the whole of the various commodities to come within the definition or whether a person who sells any one of them could claim exemption from the half-holiday provision TZ ,?b V°, At the Pl ; €Sent time aDy who sells rabbits or poultry haYto observe l f half-ho iday provisions, the same as a butcher, but if this proposed amendment is carried into effect it will mean that the whole of the pork-butcher, of the city who sell poultry will be exempted from the half-ho iday provisions-that they will be able to keep open. If that be not so It will mean that the fishmonger will be able to sell poultry on the ha/holiday, and the pork"butcher w not. The same thing will occur with regard to rabbits. A system has grown up here of a num ber of men hawking rabbits regularly through the city, with hand-barrows, and small carts drawn by horses. We think that they will be able to compete on the Wednesday half-holiday with the butcher If it means that that is not so, it means that the Rabbit oh " man will be out off the street and the fishmonger will be able to sell rabbits in his shop. For the last twelve months he butchering trade in Wellington has been in a very bad state-employers are suff r^trom o?d P s/ g P t P hT Ce b i T k ' r d "l m / V6ry bad Four or five « a ye closed, and one o the oldest establishments, has been shut down. As employees, we want to place the competition on fair lines. We do not wish to allow the provisions of the present Act to be so extended as to increase competition man unfair way We think, if these laws are going to te placed on the statute-book, they should operate equally all round and treat all alike, so that no one section should get an advantage over another. We think that the present definition is unsatisfactory perhaps with this exception : that a fishmonger who sells rabbits has got to close on thrhalf holfdaTbut one who does not can keep open I think, if an amendment is ? U t in the Act toThe effect that the sale of rabbis or poultry was prohibited on the half-holiday but that thl sale of fish wa permitted, it would meet the whole case. " was nn„lt 6 ' X TbT -PL at °^ 7 aPP , HeS *° P° rk - butc hers that the ordinary butcher does not sell poultry or fish?-The ordinary butcher sells poultry at certain seasons of the year-at Chri tma and certain seasons. The majority do not keep poultry, but at these seasons they do-turkeys geese, fowls, ducks, and so on. That is all I wish to state. ' turkeys, James Rod examined. (No 4 ) 1 The Chairman.] I understand you represent the employers ?—Yes 3' nfvou U wS e< r Wlt i What b f n r Sa J d? ~ I fully indorse all that has be » said. Coop |=t g ° - — Mr - P-