The Sweating Commission.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 416, 13 February 1890, Page 2

The Sweating Commission.

[MOM OUS OWIT COBBESPONDESr,! Dukemn’, last night. Tba Sweating Commission Continued its silting on Monday. In the morning Mr Hansen, Inspector of Factories, gave evidence aa to the rystetn prevailing of giving work out to ba done at homo after factory hours, and as to young boys being kept at work from six in the morning till 10 at night. At the afternoon sitting the only evidence taken was that of Mr A. Scrngg, who had been employed by the Daily Times to make enquiries, He stated that he found very- little of what he called " sweating ” —that was subletting by a person receiving fair remuneration, to people in distress, at starvation rates, He found any quantity of work let out at first hand at such rates that when the work’ people worked until 12 o’clock at night they earned 12s per ■week. He put down the primary cause to reckless competition—that was, recklessness on the part nf employers as to whether work people could live honestly, or at all, on the rotes given. Soma thought the evil was due to the love of the public for cheap things. The Id or 2d leas per shirt was no inducement to the public, and vary little to r 'toilers. He thought the fault lay with the wholesale houses in their desire to make profit, and they should bear the blame as long aa they retained the profits, The Union formed here had been moat beneficial to amplqysrs as well as employees, by preventing the down of prices by unscrupulous employers,