H.—s

26

600. We have tried to form a butchers' union, with the idea of getting the hours shortened; but the men have got so disheartened that it is of no use trying to go on with it. The master butchers throw so much cold water on the union, it is no use trying to carry it out, and we are not strong enough, because there are so many boys in the trade. I fancy there are three boys to every man in the trade. The boys do the riding out. Ido not find fault with there being so many boys, their employment seems necessary, but I do find fault with the late hours. 601. There is no reason, in the interests of the public, why the shops should be kept open so late; there is not the slightest reason for it beyond the excessive competition. 602. Few people come in after 6 o'clock. I cannot make out why they keep open; it never pays them. The hours we work run from seventy-five to eighty per week. I was at for five years, and worked on an average eighty-four hours every week. That I can prove. 603. We get no holidays at all, and no dinner hour; barely time to swallow dinner, breakfast, or tea. I just go into the house and get my dinner or breakfast, and come away again ;do not spend a quarter of an hour over dinner or breakfast. 604. The Co-operative Company may give its employes an hour; I cannot say. Those in the majority of suburban and city shops do not reckon on having an hour for dinner; it is never thought of. 605. Some master butchers started closing three months ago at 6 p.m. ; but it is only a farce. They will do it for a little time, and then one breaks the rule, and the thing is worse than ever: it is 9 o'clock again. 606. Only an Act of Parliament will do any good. The shops will never close as long as the employers are left to their own free will. A union would not succeed unless it co-operated with other unions. Journeymen butchers have just become disheartened, and go plodding on. I never saw my house in daylight on a week day last winter. I left it when it was dark in the morning and returned at dark at night. lam a married man. The long hours is just our whole trouble. Mr. U. examined. 607. lam a shop-assistant in a bookseller's shop. I work from Bin the morning to 9at night four nights in the week—that is, about sixty to sixty-two hours a week. I have been there since August; when I went they closed at half-past 6 o'clock ;it is now at 9, and up to 10 or 11. We get an hour for dinner and an hour for tea. I have to stand the whole time, except on my mail days, when I would sit down for about an hour. 608. lam a watchmaker by trade. I earn £1 15s. a week at the.bookseller's shop. I get a half-holiday every second Thursday. 609. As regards evidence, I do not agree as to the sitting down. There are some chairs, but they are used as a stand for goods. I have seen the girls sitting down sometimes, but the proprietor did not like it. 610. My complaint is the long hours. I find it act injuriously on my health. 611. I agree with my employer that between 8 and 9 is a busy time if the shop is open, as the people will come at night. 612. Horsburg closes at 6. 613. I have to remain in to fix up my department after the shop is shut. Miss V. examined. 614. I am a saleswoman in a George Street shop. 615. I commence work at a quarter to 9, and work till 6, and 10 o'clock on Saturday, and an hour for dinner, and on Saturday an hour for tea. 616. I have not stopped overtime, and have no complaints. 617. I was about twelve months in a shop before. 618. We worked from 9 in the morning to 8.30, and every other week I got away at 6, and 10.20 on Saturdays (an hour for tea and an hour for dinner). The hours were worse then than now. 619. There is no accommodation for sitting down except in meal-hours. We take our meals in the shop. 620. I always felt very tired, and had to stay away sometimes. It was the effects of the long hours and no sitting-accommodation. 621. I earned 15s. a week. 622. Owing to the standing one hand got very bad, and had to stop away two or three weeks. 623. Sanitation and ventilation pretty good.

Thursday, 20th February. 1890. Mr. A. Lee Smith examined. 624. I am a rope-manufacturer, in the firm of Messrs. Donaghy and Co. 625. The employes work ten hours and three-quarters, and on Saturdays six hours and a quarter —altogether sixty hours a week. The hours were from 6to 8 a.m., half-past 8 to 1, and from a quarter to 2 till 6. The night-shift works the same hours. 626. During the last two years the only overtime was for a day and a half, and the hands were paid double wages. 627. A great portion of the work was very light—simply standing over a machine, and seeing that it went all right. 628. The ages of the boys at work are from fourteen to eighteen years. We get to know about their ages from their parents, and the manager judges to the best of his ability.