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181. Mr. Moore was sometimes for the Union and sometimes he was not. He said if the Union did not agree with his log he would not pay a penny more —he would rather close the place than pay more; but when the Union log came out he soon took his own log down. The Union's log is posted up in Mr. Laidlaw's factory. 182. My head has never been affected by working. I have been pretty healthy all the time. I have often had a holiday, and have stayed away, but was never seriously ill. 183. My eyesight was bad a year ago last November, and I went to my sister at Christchurch for six weeks. I think that was because of night-work. I was working at night then. We do not get any night-work now. 184. I have been away for a month; but before that I was making 14s. a week. That was during the last fortnight I was at Laidlaw's. There was no overtime. That was under the new log. 185. Ido not feel it is any hardship not to be allowed to take work home. I make as much now as I did before when I took work home, and I used then to be very tired. I think I have benefited much by the Union, and have no complaint to make because of the Union having limited our hours. Mrs. E. examined. 186. lam a shirt and mantle manufacturer, and at present employ thirty hands. I employ sometimes more and sometimes less—it depends on the season : the average is thirty. 187. I employ girls, and the youngest of them is fifteen. I employ them on piecework principally, but I have one or two on weekly wages. My daughter assists me in superintending the work. 188. I have eight girls employed on weekly wages, ranging from ss. to £1 4s. The one at ss. is a little message-girl, who also does little odd jobs. Ido not take apprentices. I know nothing in our branch of business of taking girls at low rates of wages to learn the business. 189. We have three large rooms. 190. We have had visits of the Inspector, but not since I have been in my present place of business —that is, twelve months since. I think I have only seen the Inspector twice during six years. I believe the Inspector comes round when our work-room is closed. The room is always closed at the proper time, so he cannot get in. As a rule employes leave the workrooms at 6 p.m. : but we start at half-past 8, take half an hour for dinner, and leave off at 5 p.m.; so that our rooms are closed an hour before workrooms generally are. 191. We work eight hours a day and conform to the terms of the Factories Act. We never work the girls overtime; we are not allowed to do so by the Act. 192. Most of the girls live some distance away and do not go home to dinner, but take half an hour for dinner and make a cup of tea in the work-room. They take their meals in the room where the pressing is done, as a rule. During lunch-time there is no work done there, and they can use it. We have large, well-ventilated rooms; and three work in the pressing-room. 193. There have been no complaints by the Factory Inspector at any time since I have been in business, now ten years. 194. I pay my employes according to the Union log. Before the present log came into force the prices varied, and were at one time very low. I will furnish you with a list of prices paid before the log and paid since. 195. I allow no work to be taken home. Before the log came in I did sometimes allow the finishers to take a little work home. 196. Sometimes girls have stayed ten minutes to finish a garment, but never beyond that. 197. The girl who receives ss. a week is about fifteen years old, and was fourteen years when she started. We have no method of ascertaining ages beyond asking the parents. I have had mothers come to me with girls I am sure were under fourteen, but I have not engaged them. Girls have been brought to me who, I believe, were not twelve. Ido not require the production of a certificate of birth; one can always judge from appearance. 198. I have never thought it necessary they should produce medical certificates as to their state of health. I think that my own judgment is sufficient. Have had very little sickness amongst the workers. As a rule they are healthy—only a day or two away for a headache or sore throat— never for any other sickness. 199. I think the arrangements of the Union with regard to the log are very good. lam quite satisfied with it. I think the consequence of the Union is that business is on a much better footing both as regards those who give work out and those who do it. Things are considerably better than twelve months ago, when we had an agitation first about the prices. 200. The difficulty we have to contend with is with respect to people trying to bring down the prices—persons going and offering to do the work at lower rates. These are people who work on a small scale—doing work spasmodically, as it were—taking it now and again; we hardly call them manufacturers. 201. Those are the people I anticipate will break down the log-prices that we are paying. I have thought over it in every form, and I really do not see how we can meet this difficulty unless the shopkeepers guarantee they will not pay less than certain prices ; and I do not see how that can be done. 202. If all factories were registered and the law made it illegal to give work to any except registered factories, Ido not know that that would meet the difficulty. I really do not know how that would act. Supposing, for instance, a woman started and had three or four daughters : she would want employment, and might work at any price, because she would have to pay no money out in wages—the iog would not apply to her. Any one who had not to pay the Union prices for labour might still have a registered factory, take work at low rates, and so reduce the prices.