1.- 9a.

37

.1. N. MCI.KAN.

entirely on the business done and other oircunistaiices. I certainly do not make a practice of working my servants sixty-five hours pur week, i did uot cay before the Arbitration Court that I did, and mv time-sheets do not show it. With the approval of the Inspector all my staff keep their own time, and I book up the time according to them. It is not in the award to pay servants their fare when engaged; it is a practice. We arc not opposing the concession simply as a. matter of pounds shillings ami pence. We keenly fed the inconvenience and trouble that would lie caused. Take my own case. I would require an extra kitchen hand, £2 a week for the full year, £!oi-; two housemaids ami waitresses at 17s. (id. I'm- the busy season, £54 15s. ; one housemaid, twenty-one weeks, £18 17s. (id. ; board and lodging—one cook, 15s. a week, £3!); one house maid-waitress, £39; one housemaid-waitress, .£2-') ."is.: or a total altogether of £277 17s. 6d. a year. 5. Will you explain to the Committee why it is necessary to engage another cook'/— J have a Book and a kitcheiiman. It would require another man capable of cooking. The difference between granting half and whole holidays is this: on the half-day the cook gets the breakfast and dinner through and gets the extra sweets ready for tea in the evening G. Would three half-days a week be unworkable? —I say three half-days a week would be unreasonable and lead to all sorts of inconvenience. 7. Supposing we were to agree to two additional half-days would you say that was Ml work able?— The point would be this: thai we would be giving our people cold tea on four evenings of the week. 8. If the other boardinghouse-keepers were doing the same it would not matter? Supposing we all kept the holiday and said, " Nobody shall have anything to eat." 9. That is absurd. What is the difference between the hours now worked and those provided in the Bill I—Three1 —Three hours for men and seven for women. 1 have paid as much as ten hours' overtime in one week. I(). Did you have to increase your staff after the tirst award came in providing for a halfholiday and a reduction of hours.' —1 cannot say if 1 did or not. 11, If 1 said you did not what would you say?—] cannot say if 1 increased my staff just at that particular time. 1 would not say 1 did and I would not say 1 did not. 12. Mr. llln<l marsh . | You say you are proprietor of two houses, both leased. If you paid more wages perhaps you would get a reduction in rent /—Not likely. I have got a lease of one for thirteen years and the other for fifteen. L 3. Mr. Clark.] Do you say this Bill is class legislation?—l say the effect of it will be distinctly in favour of certain classes, because it gives preferential treatment to certain employees as against others in the same class, of business. 14. To Mr. Wilkinson.] 1 should say the advance in wages in the event of the Act coming into force would be 30 per cent. We have discussed the bringing-in of a new tariff next month. 1 should say it is almost certain to be carried. It will amount to Is. a day and ss. a week. I."). Sou say yiiii cater for eleven hundred or fifteen hundred people. That will pay the extra coel of living and a good deal of profit if you Lave no more wages to pay? —That was disoussed befi.re this Hill was known anything about. That was in meet the increase in the cost of Living, wages, provisions, ami the general increase all round. It has been mounting up for the last live years. Most of the other districts have already increased theirs. Mi. What is the average rate paid for board ?— (is.. 75.. and Bs. per day, and £1 10s. to £2 10s. per week. 17. One and six a week would pay the extra amount according to your evidence? —Xo, you have not allowed for fluctuations. There were not fifty visitors in the town when we left. 15, Bow much a week would you require to recompense yourselves for the extra cost imposed by this Bill?—If monetary cost were the only consideration it would take 3s. or 4s. a week, hut even if we put this on to pay lor the increased wages we still say it is absolutely unworkable. It). Mr. Okey.] Do you not think it would be preferable to allow each particular district to make their own arrangements and then get an award'/ —That is done now with the Conciliation Council and Arbitration Court, and I think it is workable. This is one of the businesses that you must carry on for seven days a week. 20. You have no suggestion to make as to how the Act can be complied with without employing extra hands? —I have asked all the people in the business that I have come in contact with, and everybody admits that there are no means by which it can be carried out. The union secretary in RotorUa admitted it was unworkable when 1 said I would give £5 for a solution. 21. Mr. Long.] That is only a statement. I would like particularly to verify it. You do not allow your girls to go out if you have any slack time?—As long as the work is done they -in go away if they like. The majority of my girls finish at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and do not come on till sor 6 p.m. After they have done their work they are all at liberty for the evening except one girl, who is on hall duty, &c. 22. Mr. Okey.) Arc the employees asking for the Act?—l have not heard anything about it. I maintain that the employees as a whole are not asking for it. 23. To the Chairman,.] We only pay the fare up when we engage them. It is not compulsory : it is the practice. We would give a holiday to any employee under exceptional circumstances if he asked for it. 24. Mr. Thompson.} How would you fix the definition different from what it is in the Hill to differentiate between a widow keeping a boavdinghouse and larger places?—We say it is not right for private hotels and boardinghouses to be included in the Bill at all. 25. Mr. Long.] Would you be surprised to know your employees signed the requisition sup porting this Bill? 1 am quite aware that during the last week or two petitions have been hawked round and they have signed them. If the requisition were for three holidays a week they would all sign it.