H.—ll.

The following table shows the number of applications dealt with under this legislation during the year ended the 31st March, 1933 :—

Applications under Section 56 of the Finance Act, 1932, for Relief from the Provisions of Apprenticeship Contracts.

ARREARS OF WAGES. Amounts totalling £3,655 13s. sd. were collected by the Department's officers on behalf of workers who had been underpaid the wages prescribed by awards and the various Acts, while further amounts of such arrears, totalling £2,404 7s. 2d., were paid by employers, at the instance of the Inspectors, directly to the workers concerned : total, £6,060 os. 7d. WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT. The following cases have been heard and determined by the Court of Arbitration during the last seven years : 1926, 60 ; 1927, 99 ; 1928, 99 ; 1929, 101 ; 1930, 123 ; 1931, 175 ; 1932, 133. The more important decisions, with a digest thereof, are published in " New Zealand Workers' Compensation Cases," which is issued annually by the Department. SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION ACT. All necessary inspections under this Act were previously carried out by the Inspectors of the Agriculture Department, but following the report of the National Expenditure Commission set up in 1932 the Government decided that inspection of shearers' accommodation should be suspended during the present economic depression. SCAFFOLDING AND EXCAVATION ACT. During the year 2,509 notices of intention to erect buildings and scaffoldings and to commence excavations were received, and 9,498 inspections were made. There were four prosecutions, convictions being recorded in three cases, the other being withdrawn ; fines, £2. The number of accidents to workers during the year ending 31st December, 1932, is 150 (of which 4 were fatal). Of the 150 accidents 142 were of a minor nature. It should be mentioned that the

7

Total Nature of Decision. Trade. Number of /ions' 1 Contracts Contracts Contracts Relief varied. suspended. cancelled. refused. Baking .. .. .. .. 28 27 1 Boilermaking .. .. .. .. 18 15 3 Boot-repairing .. .. .. 1 1 Bricklaying .. .. .. .. 3 3 .... Carpentering .. .. .. .. 118 94 16 ' 4 4 Coachbuilding .. 46 40 5 .. 1 Electrical .. .. .. .. 91 90 ., 1 Engineering .. .. .. 138 123 9 5 1 Motor-engineering .. .. 62 56 3 3 Furniture .. .. .. 75 71 3 1 Gardening .. .. .. .. 1 1 .... Hairdressing .. .. .. .. 10 9 .. 1 Jewellery .. .. .. .. 3 3 Leadlight .. .. .. .. 1 1 Moulding .. .. .. 14 14 Painting 47 39 7 1 Plumbing .. .. .. 136 125 8 3 Plastering .. .. .. .. 18 17 .. .. 1 Printing 46 38 5 3 Tinsmithing .. .. .. .. 39 39 Wicker-working .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Totals .. .. 896 806 60 1 23 7 1 I