H—ll

(6) With the ready co-operation of the medical profession, opticians, hospitals, and service authorities, initial difficulties in organizing Medical Boards have been overcome, and medical examinations are now proceeding smoothly and with the minimum of travelling and loss of time on the part of the recruits. (7) Special appreciation is due to the Red Cross and the Order of St. John's Priory in New Zealand for the voluntary assistance rendered by those organizations in providing orderlies and assistants at medical boardings. (8) Up to the 31st March, 1950, 4,800 had applied for registration, and 3,378 youths had been medically examined, of whom 76-3 per cent, were found to be medically acceptable for service. Having regard to the high standard set under the system of examination which has been adopted, this result is considered satisfactory. (9) The Department of Health is maintaining statistics on the results of medical examinations, and this should provide valuable information on the general standard of the health of the youth of the nation. Persons who are found to be medically unacceptable for service are advised of their disabilities. It is hoped that this procedure will lead to those suffering from remediable complaints seeking early treatment. (10) Five hundred and sixty-three applications for postponement of service have been received, 345 of which are from students of all categories who are seeking postponement by reason of interruption to their studies. Fifty applications for registration in the register of conscientious objectors have so far been received. The Conscientious Objection Committee has been appointed and will commence operations in May. (11) Present estimates indicate that sufficient numbers to meet the requirements of the Services for the first call up in May next will be available. Section 4—lndustrial Welfare (a) Factories Act, 1946 (1) During the year the Act was amended by section 15 of the Statutes Amendment Act, 1949, to allow Inspectors of Quarries to be appointed as Inspectors of Factories for purposes of inspection of factories situated in or about quarries. (2) Tables XI and XII of Appendix I show the figures of registered factories and the numbers of persons employed in each district and in each major industrial group. The total number of registered factories at 31st March, 1950, was 20,246, compared with 19,700, at 31st March, 1949, an increase of 546. The increase in the number of factory workers over the twelve months was 3,378 males, and 2,515 females, a total increase of 5,893. (In order to keep them comparable with previous years these figures do not include Government-owned factories totalling 327 and employing 11,965 workers of whom 190 were females. Such factories were not subject to registration before the passing of the 1946 Act.) The growth of New Zealand's manufacturing industries, noted in previous years, has continued over the past twelve months, and despite the reported shortages of labour the number of employees in registered factories is again greater than at any previous time in the Dominion's history. The following particulars of persons employed in registered factories (including working occupiers) brings up to date the table shown in the corresponding section of last year's report:— Year ended 31st March, 1950 Persons employed — Male .. .. .. .. 131,726 Female .. .. .. .. 38,851 170,577 Percentage of female workers .. .. .. 22-8 Dominion population .. .. .. 1,902,460 Percentage of population in factory employment .. 9-0 Number of factories .. .. .. .. 20,246

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