H.—ll.

XXXVIII

Restrictions as to Sale of Tobacco and Cigars. " The Shops and Offices Amendment Act, 1907," section 8, making it unlawful for any shopkeeper to sell or deliver any tobacco, cigars, or cigarettes at any time while the shops of tobacconists in the same district are closed by requisition, was accepted by shopkeepers without demur. The law has been well observed. Shopkeepers admit that it is unfair to tobacconists (who, as a rule, confine themselves to tobacco and smokers' requisites, and do not trench upon the lines of other traders) that their principal lines should be sold by all and sundry while their own shops are closed. Servants' Registry Offices Act. There are only 2 registry offices in this district, both of which have been, with the exception of one instance, well conducted. In this"case two servants applied for situations, and were given the addresses of employers requiring servants in the town, and also in the country ; they were charged upon the assumption that they would take the country situations, while they took the situations offering in the town. The amount overcharged (2s. 6d. in each case) was refunded at the request of this Department. The altered scale of fees to be charged by regietry-offioe keepers introduced in November was accepted without complaint. Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The various awards under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in this district have been observed. There has been some difficulty with the industrial agreement between the butter-and-cheese-factory employers and their employees. This agreement came into force in August, 1907, and employers haw been very slow in complying with the conditions. The principal points—namely, wages, hours, overtime, and holidays —have generally been very closely observed ; but the erection of four-roomed cottages for married men, bath-rooms for the use of employees, and suitable accommodation for single men, upon which the comfort and health of the employees to a great extent depends, are matters which the directors in many companies have found great difficulty in complying with at once, owing to the great inconvenience of making alterations in the various factories during the busy season, and the difficulty of obtaining carpenters to do the work. A great many visits have been paid to the factories and creameries during the year, and wherever irregularities have occurred they have been pointed out to those in authority, with the result that the factories are rapidly coming into line with the terms of the agreement. Conclusion. I have to acknowledge the. courteous manner in which I have been met by the employers of this district. In the execution of my duty it has been necessary to point out irregularities, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge that I have never been obstructed in any way, and whatever information I have required has always been freely given. I have, &c, Harry Willis, The Chief Inspector of Factories, Wellington. Inspector of Factories. MASTERTON. Sic, — Department of Labour, Masterton, Bth April, 1908. I have the honour to submit my report for the year ending 31st March, 1908. General. It is pleasing to record that the period under review has been one of prosperity. The building trade has been extremely busy. One hundred building permits were issued by the local Borough Council, and it is estimated that fully £60,000 was spent on buildings alone. Many handsome buildings have been erected in place of those which have served their time, and these have added greatly to the appearance of the town. ** Reports indicate that in the retail trade an increased volume of business has taken place. The Factories Act. The working of the provisions of this Act has been of a satisfactory character, only 1 prosecution having taken place during the year. There were 4 minor breaches, but these were settled without application to the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court. The number of factories registered during the year was 132, employing 532 males and 111 females, making a total of 643 employees, as compared with 122 factories, employing 530 males and 98 females, last year. 1 have paid 385 visits to factories, and where employers were instructed to make alterations these have been carried out to the fullest extent. In the past there appears to have been a tendency on the part of employers to engage young persons under the age of sixteen years without first obtaining the prescribed permit. Occupiers of factories would therefore be well advised to study section 27 and its subsections of " The Factories Act, 1901." CeK'l II II AI KS HI I , 'lT\l Certificates have been issued to 5 females and 10 males under the age of sixteen years.