DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8224, 30 August 1906, Page 7

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

The following ia tbe Annual Re- ' port of Mr w - Newton, Inspector I of tfaotories r at Masterton. for the year ending March 31st, 1906: 1 « lam pleased to report that the period under review has been one of prosperity and regress. Evidence of this ia to be seen in tbe la'KO inoreaae in. tbe number of buildings, for both residential and business purposes. As a consequence the building and allied trades have experienced a very busy year, and have kept a larger number of hands employed than during any previous period. The other trades have also Veen prosperous. The engineering Trade showed a very marked improvement during the latter portion of the year. The volume of retail trade has largely increased, causing a corresponding inorease in the number of shopkeepers, with the result that tbe business portion of the Borough of Masterton is rapidly filling up,; and at the time of writing presents a very busy appearance, owing tu the number of substantia brick buildifies nov? in course of erection. . The provisions of the Factories Act have worked smoothly and without friction. The Amendment of 1905 providing for registeis of persons employed and the issue of certificates to employees showing period of employment, will greatly facilitate the enforcement of the payment of the minimum rate of wages therein provided. Any sanitary or other improvements deemed necessary by me have been willingly carried out hy the faotory owners. Une prosecution has taken place under this Act. The Masterton JBorough Council refused to register the munioipal gasworks, contending that local bodies were not employers subject to the provisions of tbe Factory Aot, also that gasworks were not "factories" within the meaning of ths Act. The case was heard by Mr W. P. James, S.M., who gave judgement against the Borough Council and inflicted a fine of £2 and oost°, £2 2s. During the year 110 factories have been registered, employing 487 males an ri 83 females, a total of 570 employees. This is an increase of 9 factories and 74 employees (65 males and 9 females) sinoo last report. \ Certificates of fitness have been issued to 10 females and 11 males under sixteen years of a s e, of whom 6 females and 6 males had passed Standard VI, 3 females and 5 males had passed Standard V, and 1 female had passed Standard IV. Three thousand two hundred and fortyeight hours overtime has been worked during the year by 42 males and 32 females. Seven accidents were reported, mostly of a slight nature. The most serious being that of a youth aged fifteen who out off the end of his thumb at a jointing-machine. The enforcement of awards under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitratirn Act requires considerable attention. Many oases of alleged breaches of award in various trades have been Inquired into throughout the Wairarapa District. Employers for tne most part appear to be desirious of observing the provisions of tbe Various awards, and whete the breaoh ia not wilful or of a serious nature matters have been arranged by the payment of baok-wages, overtime eto. Several oases have been referred to the Arbitration Court, and convictions were recorded and fines inflicted in all except one case. .Many employers express tbe opinion that the awards are benefioial, inasmuch as they put all employers in i trade upon an equal footing, in so far as the rate of wages and the conditions of labour are concerned. Advantage was taken of section 21 of the Shops and Offices Act, and, in response to a requisition under that section, the hours of all grooers , drapers' and clothiers' shops in the Borough of Masterton were gazetted in the 11th May, 1905—namely, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.-on four days and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. op one day. Tqio Chinese grooers were proseouted and fined for committing breaches of the gazetted requisition. The amendment of 1905, limiting the hour of shop assistants to not later than 9 p.m. on the late night, made a rearrangement necessary, and most of the shops now olose at 3 p.m. on Saturday instead of 10 p.m. as formerly. Three prosecutions were taken, under this amendment, against a firm for employing ttree assistants later than 9.30 p.m. on a Saturday night, and a fine was inflicted in each Case. The statutory half-holiday has been well observed. Pour prosecutions have taken place, conviotion being obtained and fines inflicted in each case. These eonvlotions and fines have bad a salutary effect, and have stopped the violation of statutory half-holiday provisions. Five, certificates under the Servants' Registry Offices Aci have been issued during the year. There are at present four registry offioes doing business. Two complaints were made during the year; one proved groundless, ana tbe remaining one was that men had come to Masterton from long distances, owing to registry office advertisements, only to And upon arrival, that tbe particular positions advertised had been filled for some time, and the advertisement not wishdrawn. I found upon inquiry there was ground for this complaint, it being the oustom to change the advertisement periodically. The offices are all well conducted and the law re fees, etc., is well obgerved. I have inspected nine shearingsheds in this district employing more than six shearers, and found the accommodation satisfactory. Any alteration or improvement requested by me was willingly carried out. What is termed "unskilled labour" cannot be said ta have had a very good year. It is true that, work has been fairly plentiful during tbe greater part of the time; out, owing to tbe extremely variable weather experienced in the spring and summer seasons, it has been impossible for outdoor workers to put in anything like full time. There have been 116 applications for work, a fair percentage beingfrom abroad,and some were not suitable for manual labour. Forty-eight men, with seventy-six persons dependent upon them, have been sent to Government or privato employment from this branon of the Department. la conclusion J may say the pros

peots for tbe coming year are good, and that at least the rate of progress during the pßst year will be maintained for some time to oome.