H—ll

Dominion-wide inquiry was conducted in September, 1937, as a result of allegations that there were cases where " several members of one family were taking advantage of the ' backyard' permits." No such case was discovered during the investigation. It is interesting to note, however, that licences granted from the passing of the Amendment Act numbered 122, of which 107 were issued in Auckland and 13 in Wellington. Licences had been refused for the following reasons : (a) An applicant proposed to work in a bedroom where three persons slept. (b) An applicant proposed to work in the family meal-room. (c) An applicant proposed to work in the cellar of an apartment-house. (d) Applicants were not in " necessitous circumstances." (e) Prices offered were considered too low. *" Necessitous circumstances " had been interpreted as including — (a) Domestic responsibilities, including the maintenance and care of relations and young children. (b) Health reasons. (c) Unemployed or ailing husbands, &c. The investigation included night visits to the homes of licensees, in consequence of allegations of long hours of work, but nothing was found to substantiate these. During the war years there was another extension of the outworking system. A review of all licences was conducted in 1940, when clothing-trade firms, pressed by war contracts and already employing their full quota of outworkers, began applying for the registration as factories of houses in which they had installed power-machines. The following table indicated the position :

It had been suggested that the question of a possible relaxation of the proportion provisions be considered by the Industrial Emergency Council, but, in view of the fact that it appeared from the survey that the desire for relaxation came only from one centre, no recommendation for a general change was made. When the revision of the Act was proposed in 1946 the outwork section was among those altered. The experience of the past has been fully utilized, and the new Act, while incorporating the old requirements, extend them — (a) To work of any description ; and "(6) To work carried on under relationships other than that of master and servant. " Contracting " no longer secures immunity from supervision. A further provision is that an Inspector issuing licences is to forward particulars of each licence granted to " such organizations of workers and of employers engaged in the industry as he thinks fit." It may be of interest that, prior to the passing of the Act, the whole outworking system was again the object of investigation, and an inquiry was made among other things into rates of remuneration. Typical results may be illustrated by reference to

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Number of Licensed Outworkers at each of the Dates shown. District. 31/3/38. 31/3/39. 31/3/40. 1/10/40. Auckland 82 29 31 64 Wellington 6 7 11 15 Whangarei 1 Napier 5 5 5 New Plymouth 2