Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-08

Copyright. 1901. by Frank G. Carpenter.)
Special correspondence Of The Evening Star.
SYDNEY. Australia.
The workingman's continent!
That is how the people down here speak
of the New Australia. They say they
propose to make it the paradise of the
laboTer. They have all sorts of new
schemes to propose to the federal parlia-
ment. the gist of which seems to be how
Il sell the least work for the most money
The country already has the eight-hour
law. This is common in every city and
town. 1t was adopted by some firms more
than a generation ago, and is now a fixed
Institution. There are all sorts of laws as
t. factories. The regulations of disputes
between labor and capital are much the
same as those of New Zealand. The vari-
Gus trades have rules as to the employ
ment of their members. and the govern
m, nj has the right to send inspectors 10
the shops at any time, and it can compel
the employers to respect the laws Rec
OrdS must be kept showing Just what each
man does. how long he works and what
j." gets. The law as to holidays is rigidly
observed and there are all sorts of re-
striCtions accompanied by appropriate PEN
aIties
Employees cannot be paid in store orders.
Children under thirteen cannot work in the
factories and the limitations as to the
hours Of their work are very strict. 1t is
the same as to girls clerking in the stores,
although in some cases ffty-two hours per
week is there permitted. There must be
TeCesSeS at fixed intervals for meals. In
many of the shops there are recesSes for
smoking. and. in fact, such Institutions are
run with quite much regard to the Ia
bprer TO the employer.
There is quite a difference of opinion
here as 10 the effect which the labor laws
have on the country, l have met many
employers who tell me 1t is almost i'm
possible to do business on the present
basis and that in hard times they will
have to shut down. There are others who
say the eight-hour law is all right. although
a protective tariff is needed to keep the
shops going. The probable result will be
that the commonwealth will have to adopt
such a tariff as will foster home industries
and that the raw materials which Aus
tralia sells in the shape of wool and grain
VIII have TO foot the national bills.
what the Labor Secretary Says.
l recently had a chat with John Perry,
minister Of labor for New South Wales.
and a man who is noted as being
at the front Of Australia's modern labor
movement. We talked of the eight hour
day. Said he:
1t Is generally thought that we have an
eight-hOur law here in Australia. That is
not 50. although custom has made it prac-
ticaily the fact The eight-hOur law would
not suit US So well as the fOrty-eight-hour-
per-Werk law. Many of our trades are
such that they cannot be restricted to a
fixed time Some days a man must work
more than eight hours and sometimes less.
Take the bakers. They set their sponge.
and If the dough rises they can get through
their work In less than eight hours; but If
not IL takes them nine. or perhaps longer.
" hat We want IS fixed time per week
and an extra rate for all over time
What rate would you charge for over
time2" said l.
We have considered the matter very
carefully, and We believe that 30 per cent
extra is u0t too much That is. If a man
T. getting - cents an hour. or 81 per day.
H. should have 3Ila cents for overtime At
that rate an eight-hour day would bring