Little Falls weekly transcript., 1894-07-06
]LABORERS. IND STA I'Es
AN IMPARTIAL REVIEW OF RECENT
CHANGES IN NEW zEALAND..

From an Awful Depression to Prosperous
Condition In Three Years-Due to the.
Fact That the Workers Have Taken. Hold
and Made Laws For Themselves.
In a recent article John D. Connolly,
United States consul at Auckland, gave
some very interesting information re-
garding the influence Of "labor legisla-
tlon' and changes in the industrial sys-
tenn Of New Zealand After referring
to the period Of depression which fol-
lowed the boom erected upon capital
borrowed from England he says:
These unhappy conditions continued
down to 1890-91. In 1890 the people
showed their displeasure at the manner
in which the affairs of the country had
been conducted by defeating the govern.
ment, which, with very slight changes,
had ruled the country through the bor-.
rowing period and also through the era
Of unexampled depression. The power
Of labor was now felt for the first time
in the history of New Zealand politics..
owing to the abolition Of plural voting
and property qualification. The new
parliament contained a considerable
number Of bona fide labor representa-
| tives. Indeed a large majority Of the
members then elected appeared to be
anxious to support legislative measures
calculated to promote the welfare of the
masses generally as against the favored
few, who had under the, old system
dominated the country.
Under the new parliament an era of
land and labor legislation was inaugu-
rated which, for boldness Of conception,
practical execution, broad and enlight-
| ened progressiveness has not been
equaled by any country in modern
times 1 can briefly refer only to few
of the acts against unscrupulous pro-
moters of worthless schemes and COM
panies which inflicted irreparable loss,
I owing to the laxity Of the law that en-
abled them to issue the most glittering
! prospegtuses, to the serious detriment Of
the people. An act was passed called
the "PrOmoters' and Directors Liabil-
ity Act, 1891," which made it an Of
Tense, punishable by both fine and i'm
prisonment, for any person or persons
to issue false prospectus for the for
nation of any firm, company Or corpora
tion. This act made the directors and
promoters Of such undertakings collect
lively and individually liable to the
shareholders, and this measure has effec-
tually stopped the formation of these
| locS i1ecf t7tio liol, l,ol
erto fourished at the expense Of the
people.
An act designated the employers
Liability Act'' was next passed, which
afforded the most ample protection to
labor, both as to wages and as to re-
sponsibility in case Of. injury, protec-
tion not before enjoyed except in linn
tied and unsatisfactory manner.
The next act passed was one Of the
greatest Importance to the working peo-
pie Of the colony-the ''Factories Act,
1891." This was much needed regu-
lation, as many of the factories were
insuficiently lighted and uncleanly
kept, with no regard to the health or
comfort of the workers. All this is now
being conducted under the direct super
vision of an inspector appointed by the
government, whose duty it is to see
that the prescribed rules and regulations
as set forth in the ''Factories Act'' are
rigidly enforced.
No person under 18 years Of age and
no woman shall, except on half holi-
days, be employed continuously in any
factory or workroom for more than %
hours without an interval of at least
half an hour for meal. No females or
persons under 16 years Of age are per-
mitted to take their meals in any fac
tory or workroom where they are en-
gagged in any manufacturing process un-
less such building is of open construc-
tion, affording ample room, light and
air. The enforcement of this provision
is entirely in the discretion of the in
spector. If, in his judgment, any fac
tory or workroom does not comply with
the prescribed regulations, he has the
power to order a dining room to be pro-
vided for the employees. No person is
allowed to employ in any factory any
UOy CuuCA UAC dSo VI IL ,ytdIS LUZ uOIt
than 48 hours in any one week. Chill
dren are not permitted to work in either
factories or workrooms. Persons un-
der the age of 16 years are not allowed
to work in factories, and in all cases the
inspector Of the district must be salts
fed that the age of the applicant is 16
years or over, and even then the inspect
or may refuse to issue certificate if
in his Judgment the applicant is phys
ically unfit to engage in such occupa-
tion.
The following compulsory holidays
are allowed with full pay: Christmas,
New Year, Good Friday, Easter Mon
day, her majesty's birthday and every
Saturday afternoon from o'clock.
Many other labor measures have been
passed during the past three years, but
an extended notice Of them would not
/ perhaps be appropriate here. One Of
the most important measures which
!. passed at the last session of parliament