H.—6.

36

Return of Accidents to Life and Limb which have occurred in Connection with Land Boilers and Machinery during the Financial Year ended the 31st March, 1884.—Otago District.

* The above case was tried in the District Court, atDunedin, on the 23rd October, 1883, in which the boy's parents tried to recover damages for injury sustained at the defendant's works. Conyleton v. Donaghy and Co.—His Honour, in summing up, said he was of opinion that the plaintiff was not entitled to recover : He was employed at a drawer machine, and was directed when he loft to stop it until his return. At tho time of the accident ho had not done so, and, on returning, he suddenly turned round, and must have got his hand caught. As there was ample room in the passage I1 or a boy of that size to pass, and as he must have raised his hand considerably to get it caught, his Honour held that the accident, though regrettable, was to be attributed entirely to the plaintiff's negligence ; under these circumstances he was not entitled to recover.

The Inspector of Machineey, Christchurch, to the Chief Inspector of Machinery. Sir,— Christchurch, 17th May, 1884. I have the honour to forward annual returns in connection "with the inspection of machinery in my districts, and according to specimen form received from your office. The forms contain all the information you have asked for, and the only thing I wish to explain is this : The form, '" Beturns of Machinery inspected in Canterbury District," shows five flour-mills and one flax-mill driven by water, while no fees are shown for same. These mills have previously paid the fee or have protections to erect before passing and issuing certificate, when fees will be paid. The printing machinery worked by gas engines I have seen protected, but, as this class of

Name and Address of Owner. Description of Machinery. Name of Person injured. Nature of Accident. Fatal or Not. Cause of Accident, and Bemarks. Messrs. E. Guthrie and Co.,Dunedin Wood-planing machine Chas. Strachan, aged 15 years Lossof lefthand, May 12, 1883 Not .. Stumbling in front of planer, ■whereby, in falling forward, his left hand came in contact with the knives. Purely accidental. After shifting the belt on slackpulley, used his hat in hand to take the speed ofi the saw, pressing against the side, when his hand slipped, coming in contact with the top saw. Wilful carelessness. Employed at drawing-machine for straightening fibre. Trying to clean the machine while in motion (instead of stopping it, as his instructions were), whereby his hand got entangled in the flax, drawing the arm completely off. Nothing in the way of fencing can be done here. The boy had been through speaking to the lad at the other end of the machine, and possibly, in turning quickly to got back to his own end, got his fingers in the pinions.* It appears that the man, George Thomson, was shovelling sawdust from the pit under the saw, when, by some means, the shovel slipped ; the saw-bench being low, he fell forward on the bench, his loft arm coming in contact with the saw, which cut it clean off just below the elbow. This is one of those unavoidable accidents for which nothing can bo done. It appears that the man, William Weir, had been making some alterations, under the foreman's instructions, to the screen for throwing the shavings off. While describing the working of thia to the foreman (who was alongside) and pointing out some further improvement, he incautiously approached his hand too near to the revolving knife, coming in contactwithit, thereby losing the first three fingers of the right hand. This was purely accidental. The man, John Shaw, sawyer, while employed cutting timber 8in. by 8in., and while pushing it on to the saw with his right hand, as is the custom, inadvertently kept his hand rather too long on, when the saw, coming through the cut, caught his finger and thumb, taking them partly off. This also was purely accidental. Messrs. Guthrie, Larnach,andOo., Owaka Pines Saw-mill twin saw Eobt. Marshall, engineer, aged 45 years Pour fingers of right hand, May 31, 1883 Not .. Messrs. Donaghy and Co., South Dunedin Eopeworks draw-ing-machine James Murphy, aged 18 years Left arm severed from body, July 2, 1883 Not .. Messrs. Donaghy and Co., South Dunedin Eopeworks draw-ing-machine John Congleton, aged 13 years Left-hand thumb and three fingers crushed, Aug. 24,1883 Not .. Messrs. B. Bauchop and Co., Port Chalmers Saw-mill circular saw George Thomson, aged 40 years Left arm cut off below elbow, Oct. 5, 1883 Not .. Dunedin Iron and Woodware Company Woodworking machinery, planing machine William Weir, aged 30 years Three fingers cut off right hand, Jan. 10, 1884 Not .. Messrs. Findlay and Co., Dunedin Saw-mill circular John Shaw, aged 36 years Thumb and forefinger of right hand cut off, March 19,1884 Not .. saw