99

H.—s

If it is wanted to carry out that provision a certified copy of the registration of birth should be compulsorily produced, if required by Inspector, before the child is allowed to continue work; but I hold it is a mischievous provision to compel a boy between thirteen and fourteen years to loaf half his time about the streets. Notices posted and given. —ln section 9 notice of the hours of work must be posted up, but need not be signed. True copies of such notice, signed by employer, must be sent to the Resident Magistrate. Why " copies " ? Why require to send more than one to the Resident Magistrate? It cannot be to give one to the Inspector, because they must be filed by the Resident Magistrate in his office. Also, a copy to the Inspector or chief officer of Police, and none furnished to the principal person—viz., the person appointed to inspect factories. Supposing he is not a policeman, but a civilian, how is he to know where such a factory is situate, or what hours are worked in it ? and it is not contemplated that the Inspector should be a policeman, and no doubt in a few years will not be one. Then, what about the notices ? Why should not the Act require one to be sent to him ? Also, no person is compelled to give their name or any information to the Inspector when found working in a factory, say, after 2 p.m. on Saturday. Now, supposing the notices sent to the Resident Magistrate or Chief of Police are not true copies. Just fancy a constable laying an information and summoning the Resident Magistrate or his own officer as witnesses. Fancy me asking permission of Mr. Broham to call him as a witness against some person who sent him a false copy of notice, or who refused to send him a copy at all. How could he swear he never got a copy? How does he know, or how could he know, that "John Black " had a notice up in his factory in Ponsonby at all? Is it likely he would go look ? The section should read, "A copy of the working-hours, signed by employer, should be posted," &c, and a true copy of such notice sent to the Resident Magistrate, <tc, also to Inspector or Chief of Police, &c, and to the Inspector of Factories for the time being; then the Inspector could go on his own account for a prosecution. Finally, the present Acts and amendments should be repealed, and a comprehensive Act, on the lines of the Police Offences Act, passed, so plain that any person of ordinary intelligence could understand it, and get rid of the present phraseology, which opens the road for such an amount of legal quibbles. No amount of tinkering will make the present Act workable.

Report of D. O'Rourke, Inspector of Factories, Wellington. Sir,— Police-station, Wellington, 29th April, 1890. Having carefully read the reports of Sergeant Gamble and Mr. Hanson re proposed amendments, &c, of " The Employment of Females and Others Act, 1881," &c, received from you, I beg to inform you that, with one or two exceptions, I agree with the suggestions contained in them, especially Sergeant Gamble's report, as he very clearly illustrates the defects in the Act and the difficulties that are to be met with in trying to carry out its provisions in its present form. There is one part in which I do not quite agree with Sergeant Gamble, as I consider that such a provision as he proposes would give too much scope to the Act —viz., that " factory " should mean open air as well as building. There is also a proposed amendment to section 11, in Mr. Hanson's report, which I consider would be quite useless, as very clearly pointed out by Sergeant Gamble in his report—that it would be almost impossible to prove such an offence, and that excuses can always be found to evade it. I quite agree with the provision proposed by Sergeant Gamble to meet the case. I have, &c, D. O'Rourke, Inspector under Employment of Females, &c, Act. James Fulton, Esq., M.H.R., Chairman Sweating Commission, Wellington.

List of Factories and Other Places within the City of Wellington, wherein "Females" and "Young Persons" are employed within the meaning of "The Employment of Females and Others Act, 1881," and its Amendments; also the Names of Employers, and number employed by each of them. Miss Burns, Lambton Quay, dressmaking, &c, 12 females employed. Mrs. Snooks, Thorndon Quay, dressmaking, &c, 6 females. Mrs. Robin, Murphy Street, dressmaking, &c, 1 female. Mrs. McMahon, Molesworth Street, dressmaking, &c, 3 females. Mrs. L. Cole, Molesworth Street, dressmaking, &c, 2 females. Warnock, Kelly, and Adkin, Lambton Quay, dressmaking, 20 females; millinery, 3 females ; tailoring, &c, 2 females. Mrs. Whittaker, Manners Street, dressmaking, &c, 4 females. Miss Becker, Upper Willis Street, dressmaking, &c, 3 females. Mrs. Paul, Upper Willis Street, dressmaking, &c, 4 females. Mrs. Shewbridge, Cuba Street, dressmaking, &c, 2 females. Mrs. Payne, Ingestre Street, dressmaking, &c, 2 females. Veitch and Allen, Cuba Street, dressmaking, 16females; millinery, 3females; tailoring, &c, 5 females. Mrs. Leahy, Cuba Street, dressmaking, 2 females. Mrs. Edwards, Ghuznee Street, dressmaking, 4 females. Mrs. Skinner, Courtenay Place, dressmaking, 5 females. C. Stone, Cuba Street, dressmaking, 3 females. Miss Freeth, Ingestre Street, dressmaking, 1 female. Miss Waters, Sussex Square, dressmaking, 2 females. W. Murrell, Buckle Street, dressmaking, 3 females. C. Smith, Cuba Street, dressmaking, 7 females ; millinery, 2 females. James Smith, Cuba Street, dressmaking, <fee, 35 females ; millinery, 8 females; tailoring, Ac, 6 females. W. Hunt, Cuba Street, dressmaking, 8 females ; millinery, 2 females. Murray and Casey, Cuba Street, millinery, 2 females; dressmaking, Ac, 4 females. Mrs. Duff.Lambton Quay, dressmaking, Ac, 8 females. Mrs. Richardson, Lambton Quay, dressmaking, Ac, 10 females. Missßooney, Adelaide Road, dressmaking, Ac, 7 females. Mrs. Russell, Tinakori Road, dressmaking, 4 females. Kirkcaldie and Stains, Lambton Quay, dressmaking, Ac, 27 females; millinery, 9 females ; tailoring, &c, 1 male and 5 females. Jones and Ashdown, Lambton Quay, tailoring, Ac, 1 male and 20 females. Thompson and Co., Brandon Street, tailoring, Ac, 44 females. G. Cook, Lambton Quay, tailoring, &c, 1 female. J. H. Shine, Manners Street, tailoring, &c, 7 females, James