H.—ll

XIV

ting of amalgamation of unions connected with the same industry was responsible for the cancellation of two unions, which amalgamated and registered under one name. Five workers' unions and six employers' unions were cancelled as being defunct, having failed to send in returns as required by section 17 of the Act. Eleven workers' unions altered their titles (under the Amendment Act of 1910). These alterations sometimes mean a large accession of membership, as artisans or others in allied industries not covered by existing unions are often included in an established union by this simple procedure. Thirty-two complete and forty-six partial amendments of rules were accepted during the year. The usual annual return (to 31st December, 1912) of the unions registered under the Act, with their membership at that date, is published separately in parliamentary paper H.-11a, as required by the Act.

The following table shows the number of unions and members thereof (both employers' and workers') from the 31st December, 1904, to 31st December, 1912, inclusive: —

It will be seen that there has been an increase of five employers' unions, the total membership of which has increased by 159, and an increase of fifteen workers' unions, the total membership of which shows a very substantial gain of 4,993. This latter result is in contrast to the record of the previous year, when a decrease in the membership of workers' unions was shown, totalling 1,462, caused mainly by the cancellation of several large unions ostensibly for the purpose of joining a body opposed to the principles of the Act. The increase in membership this year is one of the largest recorded since the year ending 31st December, 1907, and it is apparently an indication of continued or renewed faith in the Act by a very large body of workers.

The following table shows the number of members of workers' unions, as shown in the returns, classified into their respective groups : —

Unions of Employers. Unions of Workers. Number of Unions. Number of Members. Number of Unions. Number of Members. 'ecember, 1903 .. 1904 .. 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 1908 .. 1909 .. 1910 .. 1911 .. 1912.. 103 109 113 109 121 122 120 118 118 123 3,080 3,292 3,276 3,337 3,630 3,918 3,702 4,262 4,251 4,410 258 273 261 274 310 325 308 308 307 322 27,640 30,271 29,869 34,978 45,614 49,347 54,519 57,091 55,629 60,622

Trades. Numbers. Decrease. Increase. 1911. 1912. Agriculture .. Building .. Clothing Iron and metal Shipwrighting Light, heat, and power producing Food Mining Printing Transport Leather Stone, clay, and allied trades Miscellaneous 4,531 8,730 4,733 3,717 181 104 8,382 2,698 1,246 13,501 1,128 331 6,347 4,680 10,893 4,119 3,192 170 120 7,525 2,822 1,568 13,260 2,434 484 9,355 614 525 11 857 149 2,163 16 124 322 241 1,306 153 3,008 Totals 55,629 60,622 2,248 7,241 Tot Total increase tal incre sase 4,993