17

I.—9a.

E. STEWAKT.

18. You were not there when it was first established? —No. It was established in April, 1909, and it was renewed, I think, this year, 1913. 19. Do you know if there was any disorganization of the work in the hotels when it was brought in?— No. The employers, 1 believe, made o little bit of a fuss at first, but they find now that it works very satisfactorily. I found thai in Sydney it was very hard to get a billet, because since the employees have been able to get this time off they do not change so much, and the employer is getting better results, as the employee is studying the employer's interests move. 20. Have you had any experience of similar places when 1 , say. not more than six arc employed outside the kitchen, and where there is only one cook ami the necessary assistance?—l have had to relieve at one or two such places when looking for a billet, because il mployern themselves do not want to do the work, and they have said, " Very well, you can come in and do a day here." Where there were two hands, when the cook used to gel the nay oft the second cook used to do the work ami the useful man used to come in and do the kitchen-work. 21. Have you had any experience "here there has been only one cook.' No; Ijiil 1 know that it works all right. 22. You have had no < sperience where there has been only one c k.' No. 23. Have you any idea as to how it is done when there is only one cooki Simply tliis : the mistress of the house comes in and does the work ;or they might get outside assistance. A woman might, for instance, have live or si\ such houses to go to. and would do the relieving, thus putting in the whole week. 24. How would it work at some of the smaller towns, say. of the size of Ashburton, at the hotels where I suppose they have only one cook.' Where then is only one cook employed, as a rule they generally have a housemaid or a waitress there that does 'he cooking in such cases. The housemaids and waitresses are generally engaged on that understanding wherever possible, and they are paid proportionately for the relieving-work they do. They go into the kitchen ami do the relieving-work, and it works very satisfactorily. 25. Mr. Glover.] How long were you in Warner's Hotel in Christchurch 1 I was at Warnei s Hotel on two occasions. Eighteen months was the last period. On (he first occasion 1 was there two years and five months. 26. If this system were to come into operation here do you think it would be carried out satisfactorily without increasing the expenditure to the employer?—lt would perhaps mean one extra in each of the different departments- -one man useful and a housemaid. In a big hotel employing a number of hands it would not be necessary to increase the staff at all. 27. Take, for instance, the Grand Hotel in Wellington: what extra hands do you think would be necessary in the case of that hotel?— One useful. They would have to get a porter who could be useful for relieving in the dining-room or for relieving in the kitchen. That is all the extra expenditure that would be required. 28. You think it could be brought in satisfactorily both to the employer and the employee) —Yes. It has been found to work satisfactorily in a [dace like Parlett's Hotel in Sydney, where they do more business than they do at the Grand Hotel here. There are two dining-rooms there, and the employees are no more numerous than at the Grand Hotel, and yvt they get their day and a half off. 29. Hon. Mr. Millar.] 1 underst 1 you to say 'hat at the Hotel Australia they only required an additional housemaid to do the relieving at that place? —Yes. in that department. But the Hotel Australia cannot lie compared with the general run of hotels. It is an extremely large place. I think it is one of the largest places in Australasia. Only one man extra is employed in the kitchen and one housemaid extra, and there was also an extra man, I think, required in the dining-room, but it was not necessary to take an extra man on to do that work, because the work could be easily cut up. 30. In what part of Australia does the award operate: it is within a twenty-five mile radius of Sydney? —Yes. 31. It does not apply to the country districts at all?— The day off is allowed in certain parts. Of oourse, 1 am speaking of the award which ha-: been brought into operation in Sydney. It has been brought abowt purely between employer and employee without going to any Court at all. But the half-day was brought in under the Shops and Offices Act, and that applies to every hotel in New South Wales. Xow they are bringing it about so that every place is to be brought under the award, giving the employee a full day and a half off per week. 32. Have you any knowledge as to how far labour legislation applies in New South Wales? Is it confined entirely to the County of Cumberland? — I could not say anything about that. 33. It does not apply to every district? —Tin half-day does. 34. The half-day applies to the whole of New South Wales?— Yes. 35. Mr. Oke>/.\ Have you had any experience with regard to country hotels? How do they get on with respect to this Sunday work?—l have worked at different places during my travels, and I have been in the country districts. Sunday in the country hotels is nor by any means a busy day. As a rule they are hardly doing anything in most places, There was no difficulty in getting the day off —no difficulty whatever. .">(>. What about the housework, the washing-up, and suchlike?— The second man would really have to come in and do the chef's work, and there is generally a man employed as a porter round the place who could always come in and do the washing-up. 37. But is not the law such tiiat he cannot do that '! Can the second cook do the chef's work? —If you are engaged as a second cook you can make thai arrangement, 1 think, by agreement. 38. Where there is this housework, washing-up, Ac., to be done, would difficulty arise in such cases?- At the large places in Australia there is a kitchennian. He does not do cook's work at all —if he does he has got to get a cook's salary; but, of course, in smaller houses they engage him as a cook, and there is nothing to say that a cook cannot wash up. There is nothing to stop

3—l. 9a.