The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1893. CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2927, 20 March 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MARCH 20, 1893. CURRENT TOPICS.

In a letter to a southern contemporary " A Farm Laborer " asks how it is that farmers as a body are such Wad paymasters, and why they should not pay their men's wages periodically as other employers do. He also complains of the bad grace with which farmers part with the money when they do pay. There is no doubt that irregularity in paying farm workers' wages exists aDd is often a genuine grievance, especially in the case of men with families living in or near a town or village. On the other hand there is much to be said for the farmers; many of them are only in funds when they have sold their wool or grain, and to make regular monthly payments would necessitate their going to the bank or merchant for accommodation and pying interest. The irregularity of payments, however, is not so much due to the farmers' shortness of capital as to custom. From time immemorial the practice has been to engage farm workers by the year, paying them their wages half-yearly or, sometimes, not until the year's engagement was up. In the colonies this also was the general practice, but the employee could generally obtain a payment on account and there was a squaring up once or twice a year. This was convenient enough in the early days, but now that the country is more closely settled and a large proportion of the men have wives and families to provide for, regular payment of wages is an important consideration, and the request for a monthly pay-day is fair and reasonable. There is evidently no intention on the part of the Minister of Labor that any part of the Labor legislation of the Colony *>hall be a d«ad letter. We see this by the prompt actioo taken to ascertain the truth of the allegation that the half-holiday was not being observed in- Masterton—which we are glad to hear was unfounded; also by M.r Reeves' announcement that it is proposer) to appoint a female inspector of factories for the colony. The latter is a most important and necessary step. There are many details connected with the employment of females into which only a feaiale can properly investigate, and many matters of moment to females to which an ordinary man pays little or no attention ; and considering the great number of females who are employed iv factories it is but right that a female inspector should be appointed to see to their interests. The Government is to be commended on the project.. It is not a new idea, for the Home authorities are taking a similar step, and in America female inspectors have been in existence for years. Another important step is being taken by the Labor Department. Schedules have been issued to a certain number of selected working men, with a view to obtaining accurate and clear information as to the expenditure of the working classes. We have seen this proceeding denounced as inquisi torial, but there will be no publication of individual returns and no names will be allowed to transpire—it will, in fact, be as secret as the census, or more so—and we do not anticipate that there will be any unwillingness to supply the required information. The object is, of course, to use the knowledge thus obtained for the betterment of the condition of the working classes, and the better informed the legislature may be in regard to the social and material condition of the people the more likely are they to enact and administer legislation affecting the people wisely and effectively. This step also follows upon action in a similar direction taken in the United States, but the latter has a much wider scope, including enquiries as to the effects of the tariff on various industries. We have no doubt the enquiries here will result in much valuable information, being obtained.