THE LABOR DEPARTMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 12900, 24 August 1906, Page 1

THE LABOR DEPARTMENT.

[From Our. Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 24. The annual report of the Department of kabor was presented to the House this (i'nday) afternoon by the Minister (the Hon. J. A. Millar). It is stated therein that Labor - has had to reqord a prosperous and remunerative year, and while there have been fluctuations in some trades there has been full employment for the ■great majority of workers. It is claimed (that thousands of immigrants from Great ■Britain and Australia have been absorbed of late years without displacing our own people, and that but for a wet summer having an adverse influence both on wages and comfort, the year would have been unusually successful. The fact that our exports have risen from twelve million sterling in 1902 to sixteen millions in 1906 is put forward to show that the agricultural farmer and runholder, as well as (he miner and grazier, have reason for congratulation. Stability arid constant employment have consequently resulted, and benefited the worker for the slight (and in many trades impercentible) rise in wages that has been swallcrvyed up in the increased rents and cost of commodities. This, while applying mainly to town workers, reacts through the agricultural districts also. The building trades have been particularly active. Some part of this progress, Secretary Tregear says, may be allotted to the share of the “rating on unimproved values ” being adopted in many places, thus making it costly to keep sections of land idle for speculative purposes, or occupied by old buildings at low rentals; but more, perhaps, may be put down to the share which the extension of electric tramways has had in encouraging building in the suburbs. During the past years some 45,084 men, having 84,361 dependents, have been assisted by the department. This year the number of the men forwarded to the railways has been so unusual that it more than doubles the count of those sent to private work, but the people sent to private employment this year is greatly in excess' of the co-operative workers on the railways a twelvemonth ago. Another noint is that while for a decade the married men thus assisted exceeded the single men, the opposite position has been reached,, and the- single men outnumber the married men in' more than double proportion. Last year there were. 70,403 factory workers, an increase..of..2,690, composed mainly of workers situated in Wellington and Dunedin. The overtime worked has been considerable; but it has few evils from the point of view of the workers’ health,-., as the restriction to certain' days, together with constant and close supervision given by the inspectors of factories to the strength and -endurance of the young people required to work overtime, prevent more than a very exceptional case (if any) of excessive strain. In view of two fatal elevator accidents having occurred at Auckland; it is recommended that some more.,stringent regulation be made for those' using , such machines, and that. penalties be inflicted on persons disregarding notices that certain lifts are to be used only for goods, and not for the conveyance of human beings. It is stated. that Chinese laundries appeared, to have gained an undesirably secure footing in Auckland; Dunedin, and Wellington. In Dunedin there are twonty.Eur ocean and twenty-three ..Chinese,

laundries. The occupation of Asiaf.jr? m such a business is to be regretted, since laundry work is often the refuge of poor widows and other women. Both in steam J aim dries and most large factories in ,the colony better hygienic conditions prevail, inducing the hope that a genuine spirit of sympathy pervades all classes of the community.

Owing to the intervention of the inspectors, £7BB was obtained as back wages due to 165 workers. The fees received from factories increased from £3.591 in 1905 to £2,686 in 1906. JT * s that the new Shops and Offices Act has been generally accepted, and it is suggested that when an amendment is projected a clause should be inserted defining the scone of the “trades” mentioned in the schedule at the end of the Acb,_ and that an overtime book should be provided, in every shop employing assistants. The expenses incurred under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act during the year totalled £3,603, of which Conciliation Boards were responsible for £3BB and Arbitration Court for £3,214. The total number of industrial unions registered on December 51, 1905, was as follows :—Employers’ unions 115, members 3,276; workers’ unions 261, members 29,869. In regard to the seamen's disputes, it is stated the decision of the Court was practically accepted, if not acceptable, and the workers show their good sense by going on with their business auietly and steadily” as many employers have had to do under similarly unwelcome judgments. In respect to the Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act, it is suggested that the Act may be widened to include compensation to the sufferers by industrial disease. It is_ claimed that if it can be proved that disablement has followed from the conditions of exnplyoment, or the nature of the business carried on, the person injured is as much entitled to compensation as if his or her incapacity had been caused through the agency of machinery, scaffolding, or any other risk to life or health. The inspector at Dunedin (Mr Lomas), reporting on the state of the local market, says that in some instances, notably in respect to some branches of the building ■trade, it has been somewhat difficult to keen pace -with the demand. The coachbuilding trades, on the other hand, are in a verv unsatisfactory and languishing condition. and there exists a feeling among employers and employees that some remedial measures must be taken if this industry is to be saved from falling into ■decay altogether. The introduction of electric traction and other fresh means of locomotion has materially retarded this industry, but it is generally understood that the most potent factor in the depression is in the amount of imported American goods, which arc displacing the product of the colonial artisan. A number of blacksmiths have been idle for some months past, and the woollen mills are still in a state of depression, with no immediate prospect of improvement, the present high price of wool being largely responsible. for the unsatisfactory state of this industry. In unskilled labor 1,511 persons made aonlication for employment to the Dunedin office, and 466 men were sent to the Government co-operative works and 556 to private employment. These had 1,688 dependents. During the year 1.013 factories had been registered, employing 9,898 hands, or an increase of 191 factories and. 145 workers. The tailoresses’ dispute resulted in a number of employees being idle for several weeks, but at the-present time only about three of these girls, are still unemployed.