TT.—ll.

One accident, fortunately of not a very serious nature, was reported to me during the year. Business has been fairly good. The kauri-gum industry is much the same : too much water in the swamps has prevented digging there. The mullet-canning factories at Russell and Purerua have had a good supply of fish to work on, but I hear that there is very little demand at present for canned mullet. At Whangamumu the whaling season resulted in a record catch, no less than sixteen whales being successfully landed, the oil extracted, and the carcases converted into fish manure. The Opua sawmill had to close down owing to there being no logs to hand. I have, &c, Wm. Pardy, The Chief Inspector of Factories, Wellington. Inspector of Factories.

THAMES. Sir, — Police-station, Shortland, Thames, 23rd April, 1902. I beg to submit to you my annual report on the Factories and Shops and Shop-assistants Acts. The number of factories registered this year is 57, against 64 last year, a decrease of 7 factories. A large number of the factories here employ very few hands. Depression, which has been very prevalent in the gold-mining industry here during the past few years, still continues, there being only one or two mines employing men. There is a considerable number of hands engaged under the tributing system in other mines ; some are earning very good wages, while others scarcely pay expenses. Foundries here have found it rather difficult to find work for their employees. The tailoring and dressmaking trades have been busy during the season, and on several occasions have worked overtime. The timber-mills have worked full time during the past year. In the early part of this year the Kopu sawmills were destroyed by fire, throwing some forty hands out of employment. The proprietor lost no time in rebuilding the mill, and expects to start work in a few days. The Shops and Shop-assistants Acts have continued to work well. There have been no prosecutions under these Acts in this district during the past year. There were three accidents reported during the year; they all occurred in sawmills, and were mostly of a trivial nature. Bush-work in connection with the several companies affords work for a good many hands. There have been several large bushfelling contracts let recently, and wages paid are higher than for years past. The fishing industry here still enables some twenty men to earn a fair living; the majority of the fish is forwarded to the Auckland market. The road-works for the Thames County Council have also given employment for a number of hands. The flax-dressing industry employs a considerable number of hands. There are no licensed registry offices in this district. I have, &c, R. T. Hodgson, E. Tregear, Esq., Department of Labour, Wellington. Inspector of Factories.

GISBORNE. Sir, — Department of Labour, Gisborne, 31st March, 1902. I have the honour to submit to you my annual report for the year ending the 31st March, 1902. Three extra factories have been registered during the year, now making a total of 61, employing 467 males and 82 females, totalling 549 persons. During the year 7 permits were granted to young persons under sixteen years to work in factories. Sixty-two overtime permits were granted for 30 persons to work 351 hours' overtime in the tailoring trade, 25 permits to 15 persons to work 115 hours' overtime in the dressmaking trade, and 12 permits to 8 persons to work 54 hours' overtime in the saddlery trade; 10 permits were granted to 6 shop-assistants to work 48 hours' overtime in shops. The Factories and Shops and Shop-assistants Acts have worked smoothly during the year. The employers not seeking to evade the provisions of the Acts, there has been no necessity for any prosecutions to be instituted. Three servants' registry offices have been registered during the year, all of which were renewals. The Servants' Registry Offices Act works well; the licensees being respectable persons, there has been no ground for complaint. In reporting on the state of the Gisborne labour-market, I am pleased to say that all trades are flourishing, and, manual labour being plentiful, there are no willing hands idle. I have, &c, Myles Doyle, E. Tregear, Esq., Chief Inspector of Factories. Inspector of Factories.

NAPIER. Sir, — Department of Labour, Napier, 31st March, 1902. I have the honour to submit my annual report for the year ending as above. I have much pleasure in stating that trade generally has been well maintained. The building trade has been busy in all branches; several large brick buildings have been erected, including a

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