H.—ll.

In addition, 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 the subject of inspections. There were seventeen prosecutions for various breaches under this Act or under the sale of bread provisions of the Food and Drugs Act, 1908, convictions being obtained in sixteen cases, and fines amounting to £34 10s. being imposed. Verification fees earned totalled £10,664 Bs. lOd. (previous year £10,437 9s. 9d.). During the year ten 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— Platform machines (non-self-indicating) .. .. .. 2 Self-indicating tank milk-weighing machine .. .. . . 1 Semi-self-indicating counter scales .. .. .. .. 2 Measuring-capacity— Lubricating and fuel oil measuring instruments .. .. 2 Petrol-measuring instrument .. ~ .. .. 1 Volumetric measuring instrument (other than liquid) .. .. .. 1 Measuring—Length : Fabric-measuring instrument .. . . . . 1 10 Of these, three were approved without alteration, four were approved after modification, and three were rejected as not complying with the Weights and Measures Act and regulations. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE. The twenty-fifth session of the International Labour Conference met on the Bth June, 1939, New Zealand being represented by a delegation consisting of two Government representatives, one employers' representative, and one workers' representative, 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) Reduction of hours of work in coal-mines. Discussion of items (v) and (vi) was postponed on account of the prevailing political insecurity and the armament and defence programmes arising therefrom, together with the unfavourable replies received from most Governments, but draft conventions and recommendations were adopted in respect of items (i) to (iv). These are being presented to the Legislature this session. In view of the unrest in Europe, the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization consulted Governments in regard to the policy to be adopted in the event of an acute international crisis. The principle that the Organization should endeavour to function as completely as possible, even if such an international crisis should intervene and even should it develop into war, was reaffirmed. As a result, the twenty-sixth session of the Conference was convened for sth June, 1940, but in view of the prevailing hostilities the agenda was varied, the only matters set down for discussion being— The Annual Report of the Director of the International Labour Office. The Annual Reports from Governments on the Application of the Conventions. Methods of Collaboration—Governments and Employers' and Workers' Organizations. However, by a later decision the meeting was postponed to a date to be arranged. EMERGENCY REGULATIONS. As far as possible, references to Emergency Regulations administered in the Labour Department have been referred to under relevant sections of this report. Several have not, however, been mentioned, these being the Labour Legislation Emergency Regulations 1939 (Serial number 1939/167), enabling suspension by the Minister of Labour of the provisions of any Act or regulations or orders thereunder and of any award or industrial agreement which prohibit or restrict in any way the working of extended hours, and the Occupational Re-establishment Emergency Regulations 1939 (Serial number 1939/213), which places a duty on employers to reinstate workers in their employment at the termination of any service in His Majesty's Forces. One suspension order has been issued under the Labour Legislation Emergency Regulations 1939, and it applied to Defence and Emergency Works (Serial number 1939/168). Apart from the above, Inspectors of Factories are associated with the enforcement of the Price Stabilization Emergency Regulations 1939 (Serial number 1939/122) and the Citrus Fruit Regulations 1940 (Serial number 1940/51), this being undertaken in conjunction with shop-inspection activities. Inspectors of the Labour Department having been recruited from various occupations, the Department has had available officers with technical experience, and the services of these officers have been utilized in problems arising out of the present emergency period.

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