H—ll

remain at home, and who were therefore completely dependent on such work and completely defenceless. Both classes of people would consider the prohibition of the system an intolerable injustice. Several recommendations as to how the difficulties might be overcome followed, and, as a result, in 1894 an amending Act was passed. In introducing it in the House the Prime Minister stated that its purpose was, inter alia, to prevent sweating. Factoryowners had complained of competition from others who gave out cloth to be made up in private homes. Further, the work was being done in unhealthy and insanitary conditions. The Act was to introduce a system of ticketing of textile and shoddy goods made up in outside places " so that persons may know, when they are purchasing garments how they are made —may know the risk they run, and have an opportunity of supporting factories carried on in a legitimate manner, in the best interests of all concerned " (New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, Vol. LXXXIII, p. 305). The Act embodied the 1891 provisions, and compelled the labelling of textile out-work thus :

In the following year it was commented by the Department that the effects of the Act had had the intended result —viz., " to confine, as far as possible, the manufacture of clothing, &c., to well-ventilated, wholesome workshops, where the lives of employees are more safe and comfortable than if the workers were driven by competition to slave for unlimited hours at starvation rates in filthy hovels." It was, however, commented that the competition of women working for pocket-money and of girls partly supported by parents would always adversely affect factory workers as long as piece-work could be given out at all. It may be noted, however, that the Act of 1894 had altered the definition of " factory " so as to apply it to premises where two or more persons were engaged, the original Act having stipulated three. This enabled a mother and daughter, or two sisters, to take in work, have their home registered as a factory, and avoid using the label. In 1896 Mr. Tregear reported that the ticket system had practically stopped " home " manufacture. In those cases where homes were registered they were subject to inspection. The 1896 Amendment Act provided against certain evasions, prohibited subletting of " outwork," and prevented the practice of workers in factories taking work home at night. By this Act, too, was inserted the provision that no factory work could be carried on in premises where a person resided who suffered from an infectious disease. This applied to houses where " outwork " was performed. From this time up to 1936 the law remained unchanged. The provisions were consolidated in 1908 and again in 1921-22. On each of these occasions the requirements relating to " outwork " in shoddy or textiles appeared under the heading " Sweating in Factories," but it is apparent that over the comparatively few years in which this section of the Act was reaching its final form (1891 to 1896) the terms " sweating " and " outwork " had narrowed very considerably in meaning.

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