H.—ll.

Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913. During the year eighteen agreements were filed pursuant to section 8 (1), the agreement in each case being reached without recourse to a conference under the Act or to a Labour Disputes Committee. These agreements were as follows:— Dairy-factory managers, Wellington Industrial District. Electric-power Board employees, Wanganui. Electrical workers, South Canterbury. Engine-drivers, firemen, pumpmen, &c., Westland State Coal-mines. Freezing-workers, Auckland. Freezing-works labourers, Masterton. Freezing-workers, North Canterbury. Freezing-workers, Otago. Freezing-workers, South Otago. Glassworkers, Auckland. Photo-engravers, Auckland. Photo-engravers, Wellington. Photo-engravers, Dunedin. Dairy-produce and cold-storage workers, Wellington. Tramway and omnibus employees, Auckland. Tramway workshop employees, Christchurch. In two cases short-dated agreements were made and renewed during the year. Arising out of the disputed filed under the Act since its inception to date, only nine ballots have been necessary, and in none of these cases did a strike take place in pursuance of such a ballot. There were on the 31st March, 1936, eighteen agreements in force under this Act in the following industries: — Clerical and show-room employees (Gas Co.). Dairy-factory managers. Electric-power Board employees. Electrical workers. Engine-drivers, firemen, pumpmen, &c. Freezing-workers. Glassworkers. Grocery trade managers in chain stores. Photo-engravers. Storage workers in dairy-produce and cold stores. Tramway and omnibus employees (including engineers and powerhouse employees). APPRENTICES ACT. This Act, which was passed in 1923, places the regulation of apprenticeships in the control of the Court of Arbitration. It also provides for the establishment of Committees representative of employers and workers; these have such powers as may be delegated to them by the Court. & The Committees, of which there are 95 functioning, are chiefly to be found in the main towns, and there is usually one for each industry. The Department has again made available to Committees the services of some of its experienced officers who undertake inquiry work and in many cases act in a secretarial capacity. Ihese officers made 106 special inspections under this Act during 1935-36 In addition inspections were carried out in the course of ordinary inspection and investigation work and while visiting factories, &c., in connection with other duties Complaints were received regarding 112 alleged breaches of the Act, while 161 other breaches were discovered by the Department's Inspectors, 217 warnings being issued There were 11 prosecutions during the year for various breaches of the Act and the orders made thereunder, convictions being entered in 9 of the cases, and penalties amounting to £17 bs ; being imposed. All the prosecutions were against employers Pi® table gives the approximate number of apprentices'in the trades to which , a PP^ ies - This information is based mainly on contracts of apprenticeship as registered v/ith the Department. ' 0 Return showing Number of Apprentices employed in Skilled Trades, April, 1936. (The figures for the previous year are shown in parentheses.) Number of Numhpr nf at isest tsssr » Baking .. 11l (106) Electrical .. 244 (241) Painting .. I®' 'm, Boatbuilding .. 14 (8) Electroplating .. 1 . . Plumbing 913 (239 Boilermaking .. 24 (12) Engineering ..387 (357) Plastering " 38 V, Bootmakmg . . 184 (152) Motor-engineering 585 (514) Printing ~ 502 (487) Boot-repairing .. 19 (20) Furniture .. 313 (279) Saddlery " 23 (17 Blacksmitkmg .. 7 (16) Gardening .. 7 (15) Signwriting 1 Bricklaying .. 5 (8) Hairdressing .. 66 (53) Tailoring ' 14 (10) Carpentering .. 348 (321) Hatmaking .. .. (1) Tanning . 4 Clothing .. 91 (67) Jewellery .. 19 (26) Tinsmithing 75 (77) Coachbuilding .. 85 (87) Leadlight .. 4 (5) Wicker-working. . 8 11 Coopering .. 5 (6) Masonry . . 8 (11) Cycle-working .. 13 (14) Moulding .. 29 (32) Totals ..3,552 (3,329)

5