H.—ll.

Of the 51,529 men on the Department's registers at the Ist April, 46,290 were employed under No. 5 Scheme, which provides temporary employment according to each man's circumstances. This figure varies slightly from week to week, the maximum number securing relief during the year being 49,487 on the 12th September, 1932, when the total number of unemployed on the register was 56,498. } 6 The men employed under No. 5 Scheme are not regarded as " placements," and are not therefore included in the figure 29,942 (supra).

FACTORIES ACT.

The figures as to the number of factories and workers employed therein do not purport to coincide with those of the Government Statistician (Census of Industrial Manufactures), as his returns, which are drawn up purely for statistical purposes, do not cover various small establishments that are included as factories under the Factories Act. As might be expected, the most notable decreases in the number of factory workers occurred in the figures for the trades connected with building operations—viz., joinery, plumbing, &c.—while the engineering, cycle and motor, furniture, printing, and bespoke tailoring trades also showed substantial decreases. The reduction in the number of factory workers in the bespoke tailoring trade was offset by a corresponding increase in the number of workers employed in the manufacture of ready-made clothing, while an increase was observed in the number of workers employed in the woollen-mills and in freezing and related trades. It might be explained that the above figures are those ascertained at registration-time (April in each year), except that in order to include factories in seasonal industries which might be closed in April any new establishments opened during the year are added. The figures shown for 1932-33, therefore, chiefly represent the numbers in April, 1932. Accidents. In order that the accident statistics may be comparable with the statistics of other countries, as urged by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 1923, the figures cover the calendar year instead of the financial year. The total number of reported accidents to workers in factories is 2,414 (2,349 males and 65 females). Of the total number, 40 of the accidents occurred to workers under sixteen years of age, 373 to those between sixteen and twenty, and the remaining 2,001 to those above that age. Of the 5 fatal accidents none was caused by or was due to machinery. Of the total accidents, 307 were caused by or were due to machinery. The other principal causes of accidents were found to be as follows : Falls of persons (from stairs, ladders, platforms, &c.), 237 ; stepping on or striking against fixed objects, 97 ; faulty handling of tools, 808 ; handling of other objects—viz., objects dropped or tipped over, objects falling, or strain due to handling, 592 ; handling of poisonous, hot, and corrosive substances, 89 *• others (miscellaneous), 284 : total, 2,414. Disability caused : Temporary disability, 2,339 ; permanent partial disability, 70 ; fatalities, 5. The time lost by workers as a result of accidents is 47,170 days, or an average of 19-54 days for each worker. In cases where the amount of compensation paid is known—viz., in 2,398 out of the total of 2,414 —the total amount paid is £35,910 2s. 2d. The following particulars are given of the fatal accidents that occurred during the year :— A worker in a brewery, while closing some outside ventilating-doors on the second floor of the building, overbalanced and fell to the ground, sustaining fatal head injuries. A car-examiner in a tram depot received fatal injuries through being crushed between a moving tram-car and a wall. An electrician employed at a freezing-works accidentally touched a high-tension wire and was electrocuted. A worker received fatal injuries as a result of an explosion which occurred while he was lighting the jet of an oil-fuel plant used to fire a boiler.

2

Number of Number of Year. Factories Movement. Factory Movement, registered. Workers. 1916-17 .. .. 12,455 759 (decrease) 78.188 4,823 (decrease). 1926-27 .. .. .. 16,619 308 (increase) 103,404 1,083 (increase). 1927-28 .. .. .. 16,782 163 „ 102,622 782 (decrease). 1928-29 .. .. 16,677 105 (decrease) 102,795 173 (increase). 1929-30 .. .. .. 17,082 405 (increase) 104,448 1,653 „ 1930-31 .. .. 17,019 63 (decrease) 104,377 71 (decrease). 1931-32 .. .. .. 16,253 766 „ 89,932 14,445 1932-33 16,176 77 „ 86,222 3,710