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have been expecting that the gentlemen on the other side would have stated the intentions of that committee on the subject, and, if a recommendation was brought down, the nature of it. But, as nothing of a definite nature has been brought down, I suppose it is our own fault. I will mention one or two of the anomalies. One is with regard to clerical workers, who cannot claim overtime if they are in receipt of £4 per week. That provision has been in the Shops and Offices Act for quite a long time. Another clause is that men who are driving horses have to go eight hours in addition to their ordinary forty-eight hours without any extra payment under this Act. Then, with respect to the Factories Act, since I left this Conference I heard that one of the big employers in Auckland gave his employees notice one week before Christmas, and thereby escaped making any payment for any holidays, as the notice finished on the Christmas Eve, and one Sunday at large was paid for. That is not the intention of the legislation, and I am sure the men on this side or on the other side do not stand for that kind of thing. lam certain that if an investigation were made into the question perhaps proper recommendations would be brought down to deal with the case. I got up only hurriedly to make these few remarks, and the point I wish to emphasize is that practically no recommendations have come down from the Secondary Industries Committee respecting these matters. There are other outstanding anomalies, and I suggest to the other side that there seems to be a tendency for every one to try and get home. This Conference affords the chance of a lifetime to deal with these matters, as both sides are meeting together here, and there ought to be no desire to close up and go away without making an effort to settle the difficulties I mention, even if we have to stay a few more days. I therefore appeal to the gentlemen on the other side that there should be at least another meeting of the Secondary Industries Committee, with the idea of going into some of the matters mentioned. I wish also to refer to the case of the thousands of girl workers in New Zealand, who should be given certain statutory holidays that cannot be interfered with, as is the case now, owing to some technical phraseology in the different Acts, and Ido appeal to the other side to allow this matter to be discussed. Probably at a later stage it could be brought up again. Mr. Fulton : There is another question I am sorry the Committee did not deal with, or come to any definite finding on, that comes under the Shops and Offices Act, and that is the question of the recent amendment of the Act that permits girls to work in public dance-halls and at public functions after the hour of 10.30 p.m. The Act provides that no girl employed in a restaurant shall be employed after 10.30. The Act was amended last session at the instance of somebody —I do not know why, unless it was to inflict a penalty on girls, and lead them, possibly into paths somewhat far from virtue. Why temptations should thus be placed in the way of those girls who work in public dance-halls, many of which should not be licensed at all, Ido not know. But the girls have to work to any hour the owners or those running the halls like —any hour in the early morning—provided a taxi is obtained to take them home. lam sorry to state that that is not in the interests of the workers of New Zealand generally, or not, at least, in the interests of the girls who are compelled to work in the industry in question after the hour of 10.30. I think this committee should bring down some recommendations requesting the Government to amend that particular section of the Act which compels girls to work in these dance-halls and cabarets after the hour of 10.30 at night. Mr. Brooks : I just wish to deal with the question raised by Mr. Fulton with regard to the recent 1927 amendment of the Shops and Offices Act. At the present time, under the principal Act, 10.30 is the limit to which these girls work. Now, as Mr. Fulton pointed out, for some reason or another an amendment was put through the House last session giving a tremendous privilege—a widespread privilege—to proprietors of dance-halls and cabarets. They can work the girls at any time, and at all times, in those particular establishments, and all that the employer has to do is to satisfy the Inspector that conveyances to their homes for the girls will be provided —reasonable facilities will be placed at their disposal for reaching home. My experience of the position of Inspectors generally is that the Inspector by that time of the morning requires to be in bed, and he does not want to be rambling about the city looking for dance-halls and arranging for the transport of waitresses to their homes. We think, at any rate, that is the most outstanding anomaly in the Act at the present moment. I disagree entirely with the sub-committee ; and, anyhow, lam disappointed that no proposal has been brought down to get something done in that direction. There is another matter in connection with the Shops and Offices Act —the principal Act —I wish to mention; and it relates to the awards covering hotel workers, restaurant workers, private-hotel and boardinghouse workers. In the hotels, barmen, barmaids, and bar porters —and in the city restaurants the whole of the workers—have a weekly holiday on the Sunday, and half a day in the week. That also applies to the bar hands. In a week where there is a statutory holiday, such as Anzac Day, or Good Friday, on any of those days the employer can, if he likes, make that statutory holiday the half-holiday for that particular week. It is very hard indeed on the bar hands, because there are only three days in the year that they get a holiday—Good Friday, Christmas Day, and now Anzac Day —and I think that is not fair. In the other section of the Act there is the provision that if there are two statutory holidays in the one week— that is, two working-days on which there are holidays —the half-holiday is deemed to be one of those days. But in our particular case we have to submit to the half-holiday being taken away on any statutory day on which there is a holiday, and naturally with that provision there, the employers take full advantage of it. Another matter regarding which we have been trying to obtain legislation for many years is the six-dav week in the secondary industries. Naturally, all secondary industries are on the basis of a seven-day week, and we have for many years asked for legislation that will bring the sixday week provision about. Since 1914 we have had a six-day week in our award, but we cannot get it into the legislation. That is what we desire. There are quite a number of matters in connection with the Shops and Offices Act which require adjusting. If there is a possible chance of having another meeting of the Secondary Industries Committee, I think that is the proper place for dealing with this question.

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