H—ll

(3) During the calendar year 1947 there were 498 accidents to bush workers notified to the Department, including 10 fatal accidents. The causes of the fatal accidents were : falling trees or branches (6), rolling logs (2), the overturning of a logging tractor (1), and the crushing of a locomotive brakesman between a locomotive and a loaded truck (1). (e) Scaffolding and Excavation Act, 1922 (1) During the year 3,916 notices of intention to erect buildings and scaffolding and to commence excavations were received. This compares with 4,050 for the previous year. Keference to Table XVI will show that the number of inspections made has continued to increase, the figures for the last three years being 6,842, 8,484, and 10,384 respectively. (2) Preliminary figures disclose that there were 85 scaffolding accidents during the year. Details are set out in Tables XVa and XVb. (3) Details of the fatal accidents within the purview of the Scaffolding and Excavation Act which have occurred during the year are as follows : A painter working on his own account was painting a steep roof when the cross-head of the roofladder he was using slipped off the ridge and he fell to the ground, receiving fatal injuries. A worker employed on a scaffolding painting the inside of a large petrol-tank fell to the floor of the tank and died from the resulting head injuries. ($) Servants' Registry Offices Act, 1908 The decline in the number of registrations of servants' registry offices has continued. From 110 in 1936-37 the number has declined to 16 at 31st March, 1948. This Department's employment activities are no doubt responsible for the decline. The Department is under a responsibility to inspect all servants' registry offices and generally to exercise supervision over their activities. (g) Annual Holidays Act, 1944 (1) Most employers and workers throughout the Dominion are now familiar with the requirements of the Act and no major difficulties have been experienced in its administration. Employers generally have accepted the principle of annual holidays with pay. (2) A majority of business establishments again closed down for at least two weeks over the Christmas - New Year period. These were mainly manufacturing industries and the close-down caused no apparent disruption in the provision of services to the public. Inspectors report that apparently fewer retail establishments than last year closed down for the whole period, the greater number operating with skeleton staffs in order to provide essential services. It was evident that passenger-transport services, hotels, tea-rooms, and restaurants were taxed to capacity, most people (employers and workers alike) preferring to take their holidays at this time of the year, but being prepared to accept some inconvenience as a result. (3) Special inquiries by officers of the Department regarding the use of holiday cards in respect of short-term employment revealed adverse criticism of the system. Employers generally object to the inconvenience entailed in obtaining stamps and entering cards. Most workers prefer payment in cash and sometimes refuse to accept payment by way of stamps affixed to holiday cards. There is also a tendency, no doubt encouraged by the attitude of the workers, for employers to pay in cash instead of stamps, but the extent of this practice cannot be ascertained.

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