H—ll

girls under sixteen years of age could work overtime by permission. Since the new Act this is entirely prohibited. There is no restriction on the working of overtime by men.)

The increase in overtime authorized in 1949 over 1948 is not large by comparison with the decline from the wartime peak in 1943. Considerable overtime still seems to be necessary in the clothing-manufacture, tobacco, printing, and engineering industries. (2) Hours beyond the ninety-hour limit were authorized as follows in some of the leading industries : Tobacco-manufacture (mainly Napier, Lower Hutt, and Hours. Wellington) .. .. .. .. .. 25,876 Clothing-manufacture (mainly Auckland and Wellington) .. 18,619 Printing .. .. .. .. .. .. 10,636 Woollen and knitting mills .. .. .. .. 9,610 Engineering trades (mainly Lower Hutt and Wellington) .. 9,367 Footwear (four main centres) .. .. .. .. 4,266 (3) The next table shows the geographical distribution of overtime worked in 1949

Increases in the total hours of overtime worked occurred in all tlie above areas except Lower Hutt. Various reasons —e.g., election printing (printing industry), the need to provide overtime in order to attract and retain staff, and increased availability of supplies (biscuit and confectionery industry) are adduced to account for the increases. A tendency can again be noted for women in Lower Hutt and Wellington to work longer hours of overtime than in other centres though it was in Christchurch that women, on the average, worked a greater number of hours in excess of the 90-hour limit. (g) Outworkers' Licences (1) The need has again been apparent, mainly in the clothing trades, to supplement the labour force by the issue of outworkers' licences. The shortage of female factory

30

Year. dumber of Women. Number of Boys. 1 Hours Worked in Excess of 90hour Limit. I 1943 4,983 42. 455,934 1944 4,298 22 392,493 1945 2,672 22 207,421 1946 2,703 15 197,642 1947 2,006 126,585 1948 1,935 103,398 1949 2,394 116,871

District. Number of Women for Whom Overtime Authorized. Total Hours Overtime Worked. Number of Women for Whom Extra Overtime Authorized. Hours Worked in Excess of Statutory Limit of 90 Hours. Auckland 4,944 207,080 644 22,299 Lower Hutt 1,401 75,962 316 18,353 Wellington 3,403 174,164 689 34,006 Christehurch 2,213 91,284 206 16,145 Dunedin 1,922 70,017 222 9,801 All other districts 3,064 122,021 317 16,267