H.—ll

Servants' Registry Offices. There are 5 servants' registry offices, and all are well conducted. Scarcity of labour lias placed the license-holder somewhat at a disadvantage, as men and women coming into the town have readily found employment without applying to any of the offices. Conclusion. During the year I have extended my visits as far as Te Araroa, in the extreme north of this district, and in doing so travelled some 300 miles on the return trip. I found that the various Acts and awards administered by the Department have been fairly well observed. I have, &c, W. H. Westbrooke, Inspector of Factories. The Secretary of Labour and Chief Inspector of Factories, Wellington. NAPIER. Sir, — Department of Labour, Napier, 21st April, 1913. I beg to submit my annual report from this district for the period ending 31st March, 1913. It is gratifying to state, at the outset, that the district has experienced a very prosperous year in every respect. The sheep-farmers have obtained an exceedingly high price for their wool —the highest on. record—and the seasons have been excellent, as the following table of exports shows. The total values of imports and exports from and to the Port of Napier for the year ending 31st March, 1913, are as follows: Imports, £580,844; exports, £1,877,889. The principal products are as follows: Wool, £1,185,233; meats, frozen, £476,008; sheep, without wool, £51,059; sheep, with wool, £5,642; sausage-skins, £8,650; tallow, £43,511; mutton stock and oleomargarine, £7,504; hides, £3,435; horns and hoofs, £147; butter, £24,305; cheese, £55,545; phormium, £4,537; tow, £433: total, £1,866,009. Amongst the remaining items of export not set out are included hair (value, £274) and horses (value, £1,064). The building licenses taken out in Napier during the year totalled in value £65,680. The building and allied trades, also the engineering trades, have experienced a busy year, considerable overtime being worked on country jobs. Sash and door factories and the town sawmills have been busily engaged. The timber forests in Hawke's Bay are, however, getting exhausted, and sawmill-owners have now to go a long way back into almost inaccessible places in order to reach the remaining patches of standing timber. Clothing trades : The tailoring and dressmaking trades have been brisk throughout the year, in many instances the maximum amount of overtime being granted. In numbers of cases employers have not been able to obtain enough hands to meet the demand. Woollen-milling has also had a good year, and the output has been coped with by the hands regularly employed. Retail trades : The volume of business transacted by the various tradespeople throughout the year is stated by them to be very satisfactory. Factories Act. There were 282 factories registered during the year, and visits of inspection have been made to all the principal factories. It is pleasing to report that the administration of the Act has been free from friction; whenever employers had any doubt concerning the provisions, of the Act they usually consulted the Department, and were guided by its advice. Certificates of fitness have been issued to 20 boys and 26 girls under the age of sixteen years to work in factories. In the various trades 4,491 hours overtime has been worked by 12 males under sixteen years of age and 160 females. There have been 38 accidents reported, one of which ended seriously; in this case the worker, who was engaged in the sawmilling industry, was in the act of splicing a wire rope when one of the ends loosened and sprang back in his face, inflicting a severe wound in the left eye; he was removed to the hospital, where the eye was taken out. In every instance the injured worker was covered by insurance. Arrears of wages, amounting to £3 Is. Bd., which had been inadvertently short paid by employers, were recovered by the Department for workers. Shops and Offices Act. During the year 384 shops were registered. It was found necessary to prosecute employers for breaches of the Act in 12 instances; 9 were fined, and 3 convicted and discharged. The fines amounted to £17 Is., and costs £3 3s. Of these cases, 7 were taken in Hastings, 1 in Waipawa, 1 in Dannevirke, and 3 in Napier.

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