H.—ll-

The Department investigated eighteen alleged breaches of section 15 of the Act, which imposes certain restrictions on the letting or selling of a dwellinghouse where the landlord has recovered possession on the grounds that the premises are required for his own occupation. Proceedings were taken in nine instances and penalties amounting to £18 were imposed. In the remaining cases it was considered that the circumstances did not justify proceedings. FOOTWEAR REGULATION ACT. During the year 304 establishments and 1,867 shipments were inspected under this Act, the latter in pursuance of the arrangement made with the Customs Department whereby all imported footwear is examined in the Customs shed before release. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT. The regulations under the Act provide for the reverification of weights, measures, and weighing and measuring instruments, in use for trade purposes. The articles verified or reverified during the year are summarized hereunder : —■ Submitted. Incorrect. Weights .. .. .. .. .. .. 37,828 4,162 Measures .. .. .. .. .. 3,881 123 Weighing-instruments.. .. .. .. .. 24,052 3,569 Measuring-instruments .. .. .. .. 7,528 1,43.6 73,289 9,290 There were also submitted for verification 647,184 bottles—milk, cream, or oil. In addition to the reverification work referred to, the Department has carried out surprise tests of appliances on the owner's premises, the net-weight and standard-weight provisions of the regulations also receiving attention. There were thirty-six prosecutions for various breaches under this Act, convictions being obtained in thirty-five cases, and fines amounting to £52 ss. being imposed. Verification fees earned totalled £9,761 ss. lid. (previous year £8,655 19s. 4d.). During the year the following fifteen new designs of weighing and measuring instruments were submitted under clause 4, Part 11, of the regulations for approval for use for trade in the Dominion, viz. :— Weighing — Self-indicating and semi-self-indicating (counter and platform) scales .. 5 Overhead track-weighers .. .. .. .. .. 1 Personal weighing-machines .. .. .. .. .. 2 Automatic and semi-automatic machines .. .. .. 3 Self-indicating weighbridge mechanism .. .. .. 1 Measuring-capacity— Milk measure .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Milk-measuring instrument .. .. .. .. .. 1 Measuring-length : Linear measuiing-instruments .. .. .. .. 1 15 Of these, ten have been approved after modification and five have been rejected as not complying with the Weights and Measures Act and regulations. Inspections were again made during the year to ensure that |the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act relating to the weight of bread and the provisions of the Weights and Measures Regulations relating to the sale of coal, coke, and firewood were being complied with, eleven of the prosecutions referred to above being in connection with the weight of bread and nine relating to the sale of coal. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE. The twenty-third session of the International Labour Conference met on the 3rd June, 1937, New Zealand being represented by a delegation consisting of two Government representatives, one employers' representative, and one workers' representative. The Draft Conventions and Recommendations adopted, also reports by members of the New Zealand delegation, were presented to the Legislature last session. The twenty-fourth session opens on the 2nd June, 1938, the following being the items on the agenda : — (i) Technical and vocational education and apprenticeship. (ii) Regulation of contracts of employment of indigenous workers. (iii) Recruiting, placing, and conditions of labour (equality of treatment) of migrant workers. (iv) Regulation of hours of work and rest periods of professional drivers (and their assistants) of vehicles engaged in road transport. (v) Generalization of the reduction of hours of work. (vi) Statistics of hours and wages in the principal mining and manufacturing industries, including building and construction, and in agriculture. New Zealand is again represented by a delegation of four.

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