PARLIAMENTARY

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1574, 15 July 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

Wellington, July 10. The Honse was engaged all evening on the Employment of Females and' Others-Amendment Bill, the result being that Stoat's clanse to limit the employment of barmaids from eight in tlie morning to six in the evening was lost. The Premier moved the following new clause : — " Notwithstanding anything contained in section 126 of the Licensing Act (1881), no female other than Vie licensee or the wife, or the daughter of the licensee, as the ease may be, shall, with or without her consent, " l»e employed in the bar of any licensed house after the honrof 9 p.m., or before the hour of 8 a.m. Eveiy holder of a license who shall permit the provision of this section to be broken npon hi* licensed premises shall be deemed goiltj of a breach of -the aforesaid section No, 126, and shall be liable for every such breach to the same penalties and forfeitures as in the said section as provided in respect to a breach thereof." Those hours he considered were qnite lon* enongh. In many places be believed there were no barmaids, and no dovbft yonne women conld be better employed (Hew ?) In many w*ys. Mr W. F. Bucicland objected to the clause. The Premier had to'd them that this bill only dealt with factories, yet now it was proposed to deal with barmaids. It was only casting temptation in the way of barmaids, and young men, to let the former " loose about the street, after six o'clock." Mr Dargaville said the rff!»et of this elause would be to throw oat of eoi-

pleyment a large number of youngwomen. That was » seriou* consideration, and he suggested to the Premier that the new clause should not take effect for six or twelve month*, in order that young women affected hy U would have time to obtain other employment. r J The Premier said he would consent to postponing the effect of this clause for six months. (A voice— " Fifty years.") .Mr W. J. M'Kenzte could support j the bill on no understanding, for he coold not be a party to closing an avenue to an honest living in this colony. It was entirely illogical, he considered, to make women suffer because some men were weak. The Premier hoped the time would come when there would be no bar* maids in the colony. Pyke: It was possible that a man nvght be verjeroperate in one way aid very intemperate in another. What were they to do with barmaids. —"Throw them into the sea." He did not envy Jh» gentlemen who wero endeavoring to rob these" girls of their bread. It was a cruel thing if barmaids were done away with. The consequence would be an increased amount of immorality. He would oppose the clause and do his best to protect this honest, persecuted ckm, (applause.) ■ ' • Sir Geo. Grey said the matter wae one upon which it was extremely difficult to form ad opinion. He en* detained an opinion by no mean* high of these young gentlemen who, he wa* informed, were in the habit of running from bar to liar to visit barmaids* mjt he did not sympathise with the motive now brought forward by the Premier. Why should not people be allowed to pursue what avocation they ebose; many of these barmaids, he was informed, were supporting aged pare*!* and young brothers and sisters, and by what right were they to be deprived of tleir living ? Barmaids were in a peculiarly defenceless position, since they bad no one to speak for then, except snch as advocated their came from good nature. He hoped the House would not perpetrate what he believed to be a cruel act He intended after earnest consideration to ask the House not to enter into oppressive legislation, gradually closing up the avenues of employment. To attempt to enfore morality bj oppressive legislation was ft coarse whack would never succeed. Mr Peacock, as one who bad presented a petition against the employment of barmaids, said that from hi* own acquaintance with the locality, ho knew that those petitions were signed by adults. Ha failed to see that any brand Was being put upon tanmttd*. If they were help-ems, why ihovM the House not assist them by limiting their hours of employment. Mr Joyce said there was an old saying the road to a certain plac* wm paved with good intentions, and Uu Premier, if he carried this ciauK, would cnmideraMy add to that pavement. H* fitntugly disapproved^ of the clause, pointing out that to atio*. them leave, to work only- till 6 o'clock was to excite them to* temptation. Mr Samuel considered that th« Premier was very inconsistent in this matter, since he was acting contrary to his statements hut session about the abilities of women. It must le remenliered that there were over 50, 000 people in the colony who had not signed petitions, (The Premier — Ob ! You inclnde babies). Mr Samuel sai<J there should be a great man/ babies included in the petitions. Mr Pulton asked when in the House mention was made of the rights of women to allow them to vote on the licensing flections. {Hear. bear). H» knew very well what the result wonli he not only that Itannaids would be done away with hut that the number of licenses would be reduced. Th»Hou*, if it was consistent, would either throw the bill out or pass this clause. Mr Bevao said he could not on sooli an occas'oD as this gue a silent vot* Legislation was runniasr riot, and fa* did not know where it was going to end. At every stage he wonld take his stand against the clause introduced by the Premier. He did not kno* where the Premier had gained hs knowledge, unless it was as * lead* r of the bar." His (Mr Bevan's) experience of barmaids bad beeu most s»&* factory. (Cheers). Mr Gore said if the Premier wo all amend his cause in regard to hours ta be worked he would support it. The Premier had said that he did not aim at the prohibition of barmaids bet prohibition was tbe practical effect of the clause. Mr Hobbs did not altogether «f «e with tbe Premier's view m introducing the clause. He would have gone farther. He had travelled also, and he had never met * respectable hotekeeper who did not wish to be out of the business. The atmosphere of a publichouse was highly injurious. He was not so concerned for barmaids *s for young men, who had been aptly called ** mashers," aye, and some of them old sinners. The Premier said he was not surprised at Sir George Grey's opposition to this clause, since that gentlemen had taken, no interest in the bill. Tbe clause was not an innovation. The Licensing Act provided tb >t the hours should be limited, and he only afterei the limitation by sobstitniing from K to tl for from II to 11, he asked the House toconsider what harm this clause would do. Who would it injure? A voice — (Throw them out of employ, ment.) He proposed to give ampU time to obviate that. He hoped the tune was coming when the hotels i\ the colony would be dosed at 6 o'clock. He was surprised and pained to hear the hoc nicmWr for Dun&tan (Mr Pyke) make soon comments u\xn> lie

fiustorv qirh «f the colony as he had made." He wonld lik« to point out that large demands were made npon Parliament by people who worked in the interests of the barmaids. The two best hotels in Melbourne w«re without barmaids, and in Araera an hotel which had barmaids was not a first class house. He hoped the. House would pass the second reading of this clause. A« to the accusation of Mr Samuel that he had been guilty of inconsistency, he denied that, for it was not more oppressive to limit the. working hours that publicans might k«ep thftir houses open. The committee divided on the motion that the clause be read a second time. Ayes, 24-Noes, 40.- The clause was rejected hy a majority of 16.