XXXIII

H.—ll

ACCIDENTS, DISPUTES UNDEE "THE INDUSTBIAL CONCILIATION AND AEBITEATION ACT, 1894," AND LEGAL DECISIONS DUBING THE YEAE 1898-99. ACCIDENTS. Auckland (29, 1 fatal). —The victim had been employed as ha.ndy man at a coal- and firewoodyard, and was standing in front of a circular-saw which was in motion, when a dray backed in to load, passed over the chocks, and forced the man back on to the saw. He was removed to the hospital, where he died from the injuries received. An inquest was held, and the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death," and added a rider recommending that 6 in. by 6 in. chocks for cart-whells should be used. A youth, nineteen years of age, employed at a sawmill, was severely injured by a circular-saw that he was using flying off the spindle, severing the right hand, and inflicting a severe gash in the chest. The lad had himself adjusted the saw shortly before the accident. A lad, nineteen years of age, employed at a sawmill, lost four fingers of left hand through his hand slipping on the saw-bench and coming into contact with the saw. The remaining twenty-six accidents were of a slight nature—consisting of cuts, bruises, &c, that necessitated absence from work for a week in most instances. Thames (1). —An employe in a foundry received injuries that necessitated his removal to the hospital, where he speedily recovered, and returned to work in a few days. Whangaroa (1). —An at a sawmill; slight injury to hand by contact with a circularsaw. Hawera (5). —All of a slight nature. Napier (I).—An employe at a sawmill slightly injured his shoulder. Palmerston North (1). —An employe at a carriage-factory had his left thumb cut off by a circularsaw. Masterton (1). —An employe at a sawmill lost the thumb and two fingers of left hand through coming into contact with a circular-saw. Foxton (2, 1 fatal). —The victim had been employed at a flaxmill as a scutcher. The belt came off the scutcher pulley and caught on the intermediate pulley, and was jumping about. He went to disentangle it, when he was carried over the shaft and received such injuries that he died shortly after reaching the Palmerston North Hospital. A Coroner's inquest was held at the Hospital, Palmerston North, before the District Coroner. The evidence showed that the driving-belt came off the pulley, and deceased caught hold of it to prevent it from being taken round the shaft, when he became entangled with it, and was himself taken round the shaft twice, which inflicted injuries that caused death. The verdict was " Accidental death," for which no one was to blame. In the other case a lad employed at a flaxmill had his left arm broken and the hand nearly severed through being struck by a piece of metal which flew off the stripper-drum. Levin (1). —An employe at a sawmill was cross-cutting slabs, and by some means brought his left hand into contact with the saw and lost all the fingers. Wellington (45). —A girl employed in a boot-factory slipped on the floor and broke her arm. A man employed at a sawmill had several ribs broken by a piece of timber being thrown back from the circular-saw he was using. A lad, seventeen years of age, employed at a foundry, had two fingers of right hand crushed in the gear of a drilling-machine. A man employed at the railway workshops lost all the fingers of right hand through his hand slipping whilst working a shapingmachine. A lad, fifteen years of age, employed at a biscuit-machine, had his left arm broken through his being caught in the machine. A youth, sixteen years, employed in a fellmongery, had his right hand amputated through its being drawn into a fleshing-machine. A man employed at a brickyard lost two toes of foot through being jambed in a puddling-machine. A lad, sixteen years, employed in a foundry, had his right arm broken in gear of a light drilling-machine ; he tried to change his speed by moving the belt with his hand instead of using the belt-shifter. The remaining thirty-seven were of a very slight nature. Nelson (1). —A man employed at a sawmill had his leg, arm, and collarbone broken whilst trying to change a belt in motion. Ghristchurch (19, 2 fatal). —A man employed in a brick-yard was killed by a fall of earth. In the other fatal case the man was employed at a manure-works ; he was engaged in shovelling from a large heap of manure, when suddenly a mass of manure fell on him, knocking him down on a concrete floor and causing concussion of the brain. These two accidents, although reported to the department, do not come within the scope of those provided for in the Act. The verdict in the first case was that of "Accidental death," the jury adding a rider that, when falling clay, a man should be stationed on top of the bank to minimise the risk. In the second case a Coroner's inquest was held and a verdict of " Accidental death " was returned, and that no blame was attached to any one. A man employed at a printing-office lost a finger off right hand through being caught in the machine he was using. A man employed in a stove-factory lost two fingers off his left hand through putting it on a cog-wheel of a machine. A man employed in a foundry received injuries to his head through his coming in contact with the machine he was using. A man employed at an agricul-tural-implement factory received injuries to his hand through it being carried round a pulley. The remaining thirteen cases were of a very slight nature. Ashburton (1). — A man employed at an agricultural-implement factory got his right hand slightly crushed whilst repairing a chaff-cutter. 2—H. 11.