H.—ll

AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ACT, 1936, AND SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION ACT, 1919, ALSO SHARE-MILKING AGREEMENTS ACT, 1937 Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Dairy-farms. —The Agricultural Workers Act, 1936, fixed minimum wages, based on age, for agricultural workers employed 011 dairy-farms, and provided for revision of wage-rates following alteration in the guaranteed pricc under the Primary Products Marketing Act, 1936. Wages fixed to date have been :—

Where board and lodging is not provided by the employer an additional amount of £1 a week is payable to the worker. Wages of female agricultural workers of eighteen years and over selected for employment by an organization authorized in that behalf by the Minister of National Service'are fixed by Suspension Order under the Labour Legislation Emergency Regulations 1940 (see Statutory Regulations, Serial number 1941/206 and Serial number 1942/269). The minimum rates so fixed are : First six months, £2 Is. (plus keep) ; thereafter, £2 Bs. 6d. (plus keep). Farms and Stations used for the Commercial Production of Wool, Meat, or Grain (including Seed). Power is given in section 20 of the Act to extend Part 111 (special provisions as to the employment on dairy-farms), with modifications, to specified classes of agricultural workers other than those employed on dairy-farms. Those employed on farms and stations used for the commercial production of wool, meat, or grain (including seed) are engaged under conditions of employment contained in the Agricultural Workers Extension Order 1942 (Serial number 1942/247). Rates of wages are now in line again with those quoted above for agricultural workers on dairy-farms. They had previously moved in line excepting for the period 1938-42, when the minimum wage for adult workers on farms and stations remained at £2 ss. The Suspension Order referred to above as applying to females also operates in respect of farms and stations, the rates, however, being : First six months, £1 16s. (plus keep) ; thereafter, £2 3s. 6d. (plus keep). Other Farms, &c. —The powers referred to in the preceding paragraph have also been invoked in respect of agricultural workers as follows :— Orchards : Agricultural Workers Extension Order 1940 (Serial number 1940/24, as amended by Serial number 1942/246). Tobacco : Agricultural Workers Extension Order 1941 (Serial number 1941/197). Market Gardens— Wellington and Nelson Industrial Districts : Agricultural Workers Extension Order (No. 2) 1938 (Serial number 1938/53) ; Agricultural Workers Extension Order (No. 5) 1938 (Serial number 1938/184).* Canterbury Industrial District: Agricultural Workers Extension Order (No. 3) 1938 (Serial number 1938/74). Otago and Southland Industrial District: Agricultural Workers Extension Order (No. 4) 1938 (Serial number 1938/92). Northern Industrial District: Agricultural Workers Extension Order 1939 (Serial number 1939/58), (applicable also to soft-fruit growers, nurserymen, and landscape gardeners). Inspections, etc. During the year complaints were received respecting 107 alleged breaches of the Act. There were 5 prosecutions. Fines imposed amounting to £15. Apart from the above, inspections were made of 126 properties. Warnings issued totalled 186. Inspections of accommodation were also made as follows : Farm workers, 71 ; dairy-farms, 16 ; shearers, 160 ; sawmillers, 23 ; market-gardeners, 5 ; orchards, 2. Permits to accept less than the minimum rates prescribed by Act or Extension Orders were issued in 339 cases (part-time employment, 5 males, 172 females ; inexperience, 14 males ; disability, 113 males, 1 female ; other reasons, 34 males). SCAFFOLDING AND EXCAVATION ACT During the year 2,113 notices of intention to erect buildings and scaffolding and to commence excavations were received (previous year, 4,243) and 6,499 inspections were made. There were 9 prosecutions, convictions being recorded in all cases, and fines amounting to £19 10s. being imposed. There were 143 accidents during the calendar year, 1942, to workers employed in scaffolding and building work, also in connection with gear and excavation work. The usual analysis is not yet completed. It was not possible to give the analysis of 1941 accidents in last year's report. This is therefore now given, as follows,: Temporary disability, 159 ; permanent partial disability, 5 ; fatality (fall), 1. Causes : Falls of persons, 46 ; stepping on or striking against fixed objects, 27 ; falling objects,' 7 ; handling of objects, 47 ; hand-tools, 17 ; others, 21. Ages : Under 16, 2 ; 16-20, 10 ; 21-24, 13 ; 25-34, 46 ; 35-44, 35 ; 45-54, 32 ; 55 and over, 20 ; not stated, 7. Days lost, 3,562. Compensation paid, £3,818 14s. lOd. 1 Consideration is at present being given to the causes of accidents that have occurred to workers engaged 011 roofs covered with asbestos-cement materials. Due to some extent to the shortage of iron and other metallic roofing-materials, asbesos-cement roof coverings are cojning more into use. During the past two years five fatal accidents have occurred, in each case the workers being engaged on roofs covered

* Picking and harvesting of peas, beans, tomatoes, and soft fruits.

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Seasons. Reference to Authorizing Provisions. £ S. d. 1936-37 .. . . 2 2 6 Agricultural Workers Act, 1936, section 14. 1937 -38 .. .. 2 5 0 Statutory Regulations, Serial number 1937/273. 1938-42 .. . . 2 12 6 Statutory Regulations Serial number 1938/128. 1942-43 .. .. 2 17 6 Statutory Regulations, Serial number 1942-248. '