H.—ll.

VIII

REPORTS OF LOCAL INSPECTORS OF FACTORIES AND AGENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR-

AUCKLAND. Sib, — Department of Labour, Auckland, 19th March, 1903. I have the honour to forward for your information my annual report on the working of this Department for the year ending 31st March last. Laboub. During the year, 852 men have been assisted to work, of whom 269 were married, with 1,075 persons dependent on them and 583 single. Of these, 764 were sent to Government works and 88 to private employment. Also, 35 wives and families (50) were forwarded to their husbands, the latter subsequently paying expenses of fares, &c, out of their earnings. As a general rule, applications from skilled workers were limited to new arrivals, as local workmen were, if competent, generally well employed. In all instances since the beginning of present year work was found for applicants who were able and willing to perform country work and this notwithstanding that there was a large influx of new arrivals, principally from Australia. Taking this together with a very considerable amount of local work (electric trams, street formation, &c.) it has been considered a very prosperous year for workers in general. Factobies. The Factories Act is now so well and satisfactorily established that there is very little to report on, and it only requires a general supervision, which is rendered comparatively easy by the ready acquiescence of employers in complying with any requisitions of an Inspector. This year, 1,043 factories have been registered, employing 9,367 hands—viz., 6554 males and 2,813 females —being an increase on previous year of 57 factories and 174 workers (111 males and 63 females). This does not include Government railway workshops, where a large number of workers are employed. Four hundred and sixty-four permits to work were issued to young persons under the age of sixteen years —boys, 240; girls, 224. Of these, 178 had passed Standard IV., 129 Standard V., and 157 Standard VI. For the year there has been an increase of overtime "amongst adult male workers, chiefly attributable to the engineering and a few other trades. Warrants were issued to 1,525 women and boys, who worked 40,573 hours overtime. Many of these worked the full overtime allowed by the Act, and care had to be exercised to prevent the limit being exceeded. The table appended below shows the number of persons who worked overtime, and the number of hours worked.

Males. Females. Trade or Occupation. Number of Number of Hours worked Number of Persons. Saturday Hours worked Afternoon. °' h er Days. Number of Persons. Number of Hours worked Saturday Afternoon. Number of Hours worked other Days. Basket-manufacturing Boot-manufacturing Baking - powder manufacturing Brush-manufacturing Biscuit and confectionery m anuf acturing Chemicals-manufacturing Cabinetmaking and upholstering Coach-building and blacksmithing Clothing-manufacturing ... Dressmaking and millinery Engineering Gas-manufacturing Hat and cap manufacturing Jewellery manufacturing ... Laundry-work ... Printing and bookbinding Sail and tent making Saddlery and harness making Shirt-making Sugar-refining Tea-packing Tinsmithing Tailoring Wood-turning ... 2 34 6 36 150 150 40 816 35 5,216 4 15 14 934 '"a "33 13 8 78 24 17 121 232 402 5,046 10,367 121 140 14 23 6 6,257 9,754 631 367 33 "30 1,858 25 3 62 268 541 1,298 144 114 4 47 42 1,641 2,790 189 399 30 219 19 5 17,826 144 29 173 7,245 240 24 8,357 2 59 Grand totals 729 42,880 1,469 126 39,758