H.—ll.

FOOTWEAR REGULATION ACT. There were 1,979 inspections made throughout the Dominion under this Act, and stocks of footwear were carefully examined. As most if not all of the footwear required to be branded under the Act is imported, the arrangement made with the Customs Department whereby all imported footwear is examined in the Customs shed before release is still being continued. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT. The regulations under the Act provide for the re verification of weights, measures, and weighing and measuring instruments in use for trade purposes. The articles verified or reverified during the year are summarized hereunder :— Submitted. Incorrect. Weights .. .. .. .. .. .. 34,297 3,825 Measures .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,380 99 Weighing-instruments.. .. .. .. .. 21,578 2,228 Measuring-instruments .. .. .. .. 7,458 1,564 Bottles—Milk, cream, or oil .. .. .. .. 10,371 300 77,084 8.016 In addition to the reverification work referred to, the Department has carried out surprise tests of appliances on the owner's premises, 7,372 visits being made to business premises in this connection. The net-weight and standard-weight provisions of the regulations also received attention, 549 visits of inspection being made. There were 34 prosecutions for various breaches under this Act, convictions being obtained in 31 cases and fines amounting to £65 10s. being imposed. The other 3 cases were dismissed. Verification fees earned totalled £8,676 17s. 3d. (previous year, £8,817 125.) ; decrease, £140 14s. 9d. During the period the following sixteen new designs of weighing and measuring instruments were submitted under clause 4, Part 11, of the regulations for approval for use for trade in the Dominion, viz. :— Weighing — Self-indicating (counter and platform) scales .. .. .. 5 Platform .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Milk-weighers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Measuring— • Petrol-pumps and equipment .. .. .. .. 3 Can-filling instruments (oil and petrol) .. .. .. 3 Liquid measure .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Flow-meters (petrol) .. .. .. .. .. 2 16 Of these, 6 have been approved, 6 rejected, and 4 are still under consideration. Inspections were again made during the year to ensure that the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act relating to the weight of bread and the provisions of the Weights and Measures Regulations relating to the sale of coal, coke, and firewood were being complied with, resulting in 28 prosecutions (17 in respect of short-weight bread and 11 for breaches in connection with the sale of coal, coke, and firewood). These prosecutions are included in the figures given in the second paragraph above. LEAD PROCESS REGULATIONS. These regulations were issued in 1925 to protect workers from the danger of lead poisoning in factories where lead paints are manufactured or prepared, and also in places where painting operations are carried on. No complaints regarding non-compliance with the regulations have been received during the year, and no cases of suspected lead poisoning were reported. TAILORING TRADE REGULATIONS. These regulations were gazetted in 1925 to prevent the misuse of such expressions as "tailormade " and " hand-made " as applied to garments made to measure, some of which are made partly by machine process. A number of complaints were received during the year, but in only three instances where factory-made garments were incorrectly described in advertisements was it found that a breach of the regulations had been committed. In all cases the advertisements were immediately withdrawn.

2—H. 11.

9