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practice of this company—are on the same footing as regards their pay, duties, and hours of work as the staff of the Australian refineries, and their earnings will, we believe, be found to compare favourably with those of the employes in similar trades in this colony ; but in consequence of the high cost of coal in Auckland, and the dearer material in the shape of stores, bags, &c, the work-ing-expenses here are higher than in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. Any addition, therefore, to such expenses will at once offer a strong inducement to supply part of the demand for New Zealand from our Australian refineries, particularly that in Sydney, where the plant has during the past five years, been largely added to, and without loss from ad valorem duties, such as have so greatly swelled the cost of similar additions to our refinery. Under these circumstances, our employes here have some weeks since been informed that we will not increase the rate of wages we now pay per hour if the new Bill becomes law, and the consequence of the legislative changes above alluded to will thus be a diminution of their pay, while, as the factory is designed for working with two shifts, any reduction of the hours of labour will necessarily bring about a serious falling-off of the output without any corresponding advantage. Another point to which we would direct your attention is that forbidding the employment of any men on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. It is practically impossible to work a factory like ours full time without effecting engineering repairs and carrying out minor additions and alterations while the works are stopped; and the enforcement of such a rule*would necessitate repairs being effected while the machinery was in motion. This would greatly enhance the risk of accident to the men, and involving the idleness of a large number of men at frequent intervals while the engineering staff made good the defects, &c. If any reference to Saturday and Sunday work be permitted to remain in the Bill, it should be made quite clear that this does not apply to any men employed on those days in maintaining, altering, or adding to any plant, machinery, and buildings in connection with the factory. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,525 copies), £38 3s.

By Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9ol. Price Is. 6d.}