LABOR AND THE LAW.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3999, 4 August 1915, Page 3

LABOR AND THE LAW.

()\LV FOUR Ml NOB CTRIK ES LAST YE All. DECKKANE OF GASES UNDER THE SHOPS ACT. Bv Telegraph—Special Correspondent, WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. in accordance with instructions the Secretary for Labor (Mr F. VV. Howley) stated in his annual report to the House that in a short- while lie. hoped to be aide to submit proposals for the training of workers in the new methods of handling tools. Since the. establishment of the Department J.0D,524 workers had received practical assistance from the Department, with dependents, totalling .1.41,The number assisted last year showed an in.roa.se of 1970 over 1913-14. East year £11,065 was advanced to workers in railway lares, ol which Mini £9949 was repaid by them. Tln-re was an increase of 468 in the a union.* of I.Ttories registered compared with the previous year. The omnia r of workers had not increased in the usual proportion, the advance totalling onlv 1295. The increase m the number'of factories was no nouh part I v due to the growing practice ol some'of the larger clothing factories and drapery establishments when siijhcieiit labor had not been obtainable ol giving out work. There were many houses registered as whore a woman alone, or perhaps vim f or daughter did sliirtmakmg, trousermakiug. etc. In Auckland there are 17,41 laetories. in Wellington I 144 i>i Christchurch ' 1282, and in Dunedin 1115. The proportion ol accidents in factories to the" number employed was 40.88 per thousand. The number o! prosecutions under the Shops and Oi l<‘es Act during the year had diiiunished by one half. . . Tliero were four strikes or minor importance, during the year— briokJ a vers (Auckland), cheese factory workers (Greytown), general laborers (Westport), and the s.s. -Mann’s liremen. ' . , Tliirt-v-live new unions ol workei s were registered during the year, comprising 1514 workers. The Conciliation Councils and tlie Arbitration Court had dealt with .34 industrial agreements. Tlio Court iiad made 71 awards and there had been :<;3O eiiforcemeats of awards. '[’lie total expenditure for the year of the Council of Conciliation was 03728, and of the Arbitration Court £1234 (this amount includes the salaries of the Commissioners £1560. and tho members of the Court £2BOO. It was Imped that before the end oi the year tho accommodation at flaxpi ills and sawmills would be greatly improved. . In regard to women workers, tno report states that there are scores or positions availahie at good wages at Nelson. As much as £1 10s to £2 per’ .week can. be earned at fruitgrading. '