H—4s

The ports with highest costs per man-week worked by unionists for 1949-50 were : Main ports .. .. .. Port Chalmers (9s. 5-76 d.). Secondary ports .. .. Oamaru (325. 3-31 d.), Greymouth (225. 6-71 d.)> Gisborne (225. 5-71 d.) and Westport (19s. 8-53 d.). Minor ports .. .. .. Tokomaru Bay (225. 4-20 d.) and Tauranga (10s. 9-19 d.). The all-ports cost per man-week worked by unionists has fallen from ss. 6-49 d. in 1948-49 to 4s. 3-48 d. for 1949-50. 7. ACCOMMODATION AND AMENITIES (a) WAITING-ROOM ACCOMMODATION During the year a modern waiting-room was completed and officially opened at Tauranga on 4th February, 1950. The work on a new waiting-room at Whangarei was substantially completed during the year, and was officially opened in April, 1950. Agreement has now been reached with the New Plymouth Harbour Board for the erection of a modern waiting-room which should meet the needs of that port for many years to come. Due to difficulties in obtaining possession of the site in Norwich Quay, the Lyttelton Harbour Board made no progress in the erection of the new waiting-room. The Board has now decided to revert to the original site at shed 5, and plans and specifications are being finalized. It is hoped that this building will be completed before next winter. The Commission is also arranging for the enlarging and modernizing of the existing waiting-room at Timaru. (b) CANTEEN FACILITIES During the year the Taranaki Street Wharf canteen at Wellington was opened, and the Commission met expenditure at that port of approximately £2,500 in equipping this canteen and making improvements to the main restaurant. The two canteens erected by the Lyttelton Harbour Board were put into operation during the year, and equipped by the Commission at a cost of £1,500. Negotiations were entered into with the Otago Harbour Board for alterations to be made to the Dunedin waiting-room to provide canteen facilities. The Commission has up to date spent almost £30,000 towards providing canteen facilities at ports where these facilities were not already included in modern waiting-rooms erected by the Commission. (c) FIRST-AID FACILITIES The first-aid clinics at the ports of Wellington and Lyttelton have fully justified their establishment and have resulted in a considerable saving of man-hours in the industry, as workers are able, through the clinics, to obtain dressings and re-dressings which would otherwise have been carried out at the public hospitals. During the year waterside workers at a number of ports have undertaken first-aid training courses, and the Commission has met any financial loss to workers who have regularly attended lectures. In order to minimize cuts and abrasions to hands of waterside workers and reduce the loss of man-hours through this cause, the Commission during the year made available, at a subsidized price, supplies of industrial gloves for purchase by waterside workers. It is pleasing to note that a large percentage of waterside workers have purchased these gloves. 8. ANNUAL HOLIDAYS AND STATUTORY HOLIDAYS (Appendix, pages 72) (a) ANNUAL HOLIDAYS For the annual holiday year ended 31st July, 1949, a total of 80 per cent, of unionists paid through the Commission's Central Pay Offices qualified for the maximum holiday pay of 22 half-days. This compares with 77 per cent, for the year ended 31st July, 1948, and is a further indication of the greater regularity of attendance of unionists for work during 1949-50 (see Section 2 (h) (iii), page 10).

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