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XVII

Twenty-one accidents have been reported, one of which was fatal. All the others except one were slight: one girl got her hair caught on the shaft which drives the sewing-machines in one of the boot-factories and had her scalp torn off. Shops and Shop-assistants Acts. These Acts do not work at all satisfactorily, and will always be a source of annoyance so long as the exemptions remain. The sections allowing small shopkeepers to choose their own day is not only a great injustice to the other tradespeople, but practically put these laws beyond the possibility of their being properly and satisfactorily administered. The statutory holidays should be made compulsory, as in the case of the Factories Act. There has been nine convictions under these Acts, and fines were imposed amounting to £7 10s., with £13 15s. 6d. costs. Seevants' Begistky Offices Act. This Act, on the whole, has given pretty general satisfaction, its chief defect being that it does not compel license-holders to give written receipts for the fees paid. Several complaints of overcharges have come under my notice, but on examination of the registry-office keeper's books the amounts charged were entered according to scale of fees. I have had only one conviction under this Act. A nominal fine of Is. was imposed, with £3 14s. costs. In closing my report, I again desire to acknowledge the almost uniform courtesy I have received both from employers and employes. I have, &c, E. Tregear, Esq., Wellington. John Lomas.

DUNEDIN. g IE) Department of Labour, Dunedin, 31st March, 1897. I have the honour to forward you a report of the department under my charge for the year ending 31st March, 1897. Faotoeibs Act. There has been a considerable increase in the number of factories registered this year—via., 513 registrations, as against 483 for 1896. There has also been a marked increase in the number of persons employed, and the amount of overtime paid to them. In 1896 there were 5,272 registered as employed in factories, as against 6,029 registered as being employed in 1897. The overtime paid during the present year shows an increase of about 100 per cent, over last year's overtime pay. The fact that the applications of overtime permits are increasing, as shown by the accompanying table, points to a largely-increased volume of work without a proportionate increase in the number of workers employed : — Number of Persons Hours of Overtime * ear, employed. worked. 1894-95 728 3,823 1895-96 2,171 12,318 1896-97 4,085 23,145 That is to say, there was an increase of over 300 per cent, in 1896 as against 1895, and of 100 per oent. in 1897 as against 1896. This only embraces those persons whom the law restricts to eightyfour hours' overtime during the current twelve months, which restriction has not been exceeded. The above figures are significant, showing, as they do, that the Act provides too liberally for overtime, a provision which necessarily militates against opportunities for employment being afforded to those not on the pay-roll or the factories. A large amount of overtime is done by persons outside the scope of the Act, and of which, consequently, no record is taken. I have again to draw your attention to section 54 of the Act, which gives employers the right of working females and young persons forty-eight hours per week in lieu of forty-five, as provided by the Act of 1891. This extension of hours is now being generally taken advantage of, and is the cause of considerable dissatisfaction amongst those affected, who complain that in order to comply with the present law it is necessary to work more than eight hours per day, so as to comply with the Act in reference to giving the Saturday half-holiday. It is contended, with some show of reason, that the principle of the eight-hours day is being encroached upon, besides which there has been no corresponding payment for the increased number of hours worked. There has been in this district an immunity from any accidents of a serious nature. Notwithstanding the large increase in the number of persons employed, there has only been the same number of accidents reported to me as occurred in the preceding year —viz., twenty—all of which were of a trivial nature. This points to the fact that factory-proprietors are taking the necessary precautions with their machinery to safeguard against injuries to the lives and limbs of the workers. I have to record a marked improvement in several factories with respect to the accommodation provided, and also in the general hygienic arrangements of the workrooms, but there are still a few buildings used as workrooms which leave much to be desired ; the latter class are mostly workrooms in existence prior to the introduction of the 1891 Act, held under leases the terms of which have still some years to run. I recognise that it would be a serious hardship to close these rooms, as the lessees do all that is possible to counteract the effects of the faulty construction of these buildings ; but when the leases fall in I will see that all defects are remedied and that the buildings are renovated, and where necessary remodelled. It is satisfactory to be able to report that I almost invariably meet with the ready and intelligent co-operation of all factory-proprietors in any reforms I suggest.

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