H—ll

Overtime has been worked in the various trades as under: — Trade or Oooupation. Males. Hours worked. Females. Hours worked. Aerated water and cordials ... 42 2,315 Bootmaking, &c. ... ... 62 834 15 186 Brickmaking ... ... 96 1,984 Brewing and malting ... ... 28 984 Candle-making ... ... 4 72 Confectionery ... ... 46 1,976 7 147 Dressmaking and millinery ... 461 8,757 Engineering ... ... 263 27,165 Furniture and upholstering ... 30 951 15 114 Grocers' sundries, condiments, jam, Ac. ... ... ... 19 95 22 i*7 Hat and cap making ... ... 2 140 16 679 Jewellery . . . . ... 3 79 Joinery ... ... ... 24 320 Laundry-work ... ... 228 7,251 Packing tea and general ... 52 3,723 27 427 Plumbing, brass- and coppersmithiDg ... ... 129 5,663 Printing, binding, and cardboardbox manufacturing ... 112 4,389 131 4,590 Shipwrighting ... ... 82 13,476 Shirtmaking, tailoring, and clothing 85 3,648 376 9,560 Tinsmithing ... ... ... 2 72 Weaving, spinning, &c. ... 55 2,833 26 606 Totals ... ...1,139 70,739 1,324 32,444 There were 94 accidents reported during the year; two were fatal, 12 were of a severe nature, the remaining 80 were of a slight nature incidental to factory-work where machinery is employed, consisting of slight cuts, bruises, &c, and necessitating absence from work for a few days in most cases. Each case was inquired into, and where necessary steps were taken to, as far as possible, minimise the risk to workers by fencing or otherwise guarding machinery. There were sixteen prosecutions during the year, and convictions were secured and penalties inflicted in each case. " The Shops and Shop-assistants Act, 1894 " : This Act was in existence till the Bth November, when it was repealed; during that period it worked very evenly. There were four prosecutions, and a conviction and penalty was secured in each case. I; The Shops and Offices Act, 1904," came into operation on the Bth November, and considerable opposition was very shortly raised over section 3, which provided that shops wherein two or more persons were employed should close at 6 p.m. on four working-days in each week, and 9 p.m. on one day in each week. A question was raised as to whether the district boundaries were regularly gazetted, as required by the Act, and a case was brought against Mr. Tanner, of Newtown, for failing to close his shop at 6 p.m. The case was recognised as a test one, and the Stipendiary Magistrate, after hearing argument, decided against the Department; the decision is being appealed against, and the case is now before the Supreme Court. Under both Acts overtime has been worked as follows: 455 persons have worked 6,817 hours —viz., 144 male assistants have worked 2,708 hours, and 311 female assistants have worked 4,109 hours; of course, the overtime of male assistants dates only from November last. Servants' Registry Office Act: This Act is working very smoothly, and there are no complaints of abuses of its provisions; there are 17 offices registered in the district, an increase of 3 over last year. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act: This Act is working very well, and is doing a great deal of good in the district by checking and redressing abuses that would otherwise go unchallenged. It certainly entails a very considerable amount of work and worry on Inspectors, but there is the satisfaction of knowing that much benefit results to the workers, and also to fair employers. There were 55 cases for breaches of award taken before the Court during the year; in 46 convictions were secured, 7 cases were dismissed, and 2 were withdrawn, and during the year a number of cases have been settled with employers and workers without taking them before the Court. They consist of the indenturing of apprentices, preference to union men wherever required by the awards, arrears of wages, and overtime, involving a large amount. Quite a number of complaints have also been inquired into in which it was found there was not sufficient evidence to establish a breach of award. In conclusion, I have to thank all parties with whom nvy duties have brought me into contact for their courtesy and forbearance. I have, &c, James Shanaghan, Edward Tregear, Esq., Chief Inspector. Inspector of Factories.

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