H.—ll

Annual Statement of Business conducted under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Industrial agreements ... ... ...■ ... ... ... 15 Recommendations of Conciliation Boards ... ... ... ... 10 Interpretations, &c., by Boards ... ... ... ... ... 29 Awards of Arbitration Court ... ... ... ... ... 26 Enforcements by Arbitration Court of awards and agreements ... ... 389 Interpretations, &c, by Arbitration Court ... ... ... ... 33 Judgments under Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act ... ... 28 Total number of cases brought before Conciliation Boards ... ... 39 Total number of cases brought before Arbitration Court ... ... 448 Total number of cases brought under Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act ... .".. ... ... ... ... ... 28 The number of industrial unions registered is—employers, 109; workers, 273. The total number of members of industrial unions (31st March, 1905) is as follows : Industrial unions of employers, 3,292; industrial unions of workers, 30,271. This shows an increase of 212 employers and 2,631 workers above last year's numbers. (For full particulars, names, &0., of these unions see separate report, headed " ' The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1900.' Return showing the number of members in each industrial union," &c. This has been presented to Parliament.) The expenses incurred in administering the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act for the year were as follows : — £ Conciliation Boards ... ... ... ... ... ... 405 Arbitration Court ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,857 Sundries ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 £3,283 Complaints are made by miners' unions, both in Westland and Otago, as to sections of the Coal-mines Act and "Mining Act Amendment Act, 1903," being abrogated, by refusal of the Arbitration Court to grant an award. They plead that the eight hours from bank to bank provided for by Parliament is nullified by the provision that such hours are subject to "the provisions of any award now in force," and that until the old award can be superseded by a new one they cannot obtain the advantages conferred by Act; therefore that their being unable to obtain a new award entails great injury on them in the way of lost time. On the other hand, it is evident from the long and exhaustive statement on the subject made by the President of the Court that very careful and judicial inquiry and consideration were given before such refusal was made. (For decision at full length see Labour Journal, No. 146, 10th April, 1905, p. 264.) The question is an important one, and I beg to draw the attention of the Government to a position which is causing dissatisfaction and needs serious attention. It is proposed that all Trades and Labour Councils should be able to register as industrial associations. At present, through a technical omission, they are unable to do so; but as some were already registered under the old Act, the exclusion of others appears invidious. The departmental suggestions thought necessary for the improvement of the Arbitration Act are condensed into an amending Bill brought down by Government.

Sir, — Department of Labour, Wellington, 10th April, 1905. I have again the pleasure to report on the general work of the Department as carried out during the year 1904-5. The correspondence shows an increase on that of last year, and, summarised, it is as follows: Letters sent out, 5,252; telegrams, 1,098; circular letters, 30, with an average of 150 copies each circular sent out; letters received, 6,400; telegrams, 1,104. Among the letters received were the usual large number asking for information about the colony, prospects of employment, rates of wages, nature of land and labour laws, &c. As showing the far-reaching effect that a few letters from successful colonists have, the following is an example: During the months of February, March, April, and May, 1900, there were something like 145 people that arrived here, having been induced to come to New Zealand by the lectures and writings of Mr. William Ranstead, who is now a settler in the Waikato. Many of these were tradesmen, such as engineers, carpenters, bricklayers, &c.; some were farm labourers, and some ordinary or general labourers. THey were all of a good class, and were determined to succeed; they have, we are assured, been the means of bringing to the colony more than a thousand persons, and they are all doing well, or, at least, as one of them said, many times better than

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