H.—ll.

Fines— £ s . d. Departmental cases .. .. . . .. 229 7 0 Union cases .. .. .. . . Nil. Special care has been given by our Inspectors to the recovery of fines imposed by the Arbitration Court during the year, and the following tables give a complete analysis of the position at the close of the year: — Return showing Total Cases and Penalties paid and owing by Employers as at 31s/ March, 1909. £ 8, d. Percentage. Total number of cases in which penalties inflicted, 1,206 Total amount of penalties .. .. .. . . 3,987 8 0 Amount paid within three months .. .. .. 3,059 2 0 771 Amount paid within six months .. .. .. 292 10 6 7 Amount paid over six months .. .. .. 157 2 4 :5.\ Total amount unpaid .. .. .. .. 478 13 2 12 Of the amount of £478 13s. 2d. owing, £312 135., representing 7| per cent, of the total amount of penalties, is due by persons only recently fined, and for the recovery of which steps are being taken in the usual way. £51 155., representing If per cent., is owing by persons who have gone out of business, and whose whereabouts are unknown; £92 4s. Bd., representing 2J per cent., is owing by employers against whom distress warrants have been issued, without effect. Several of these are bankrupt'and are now working for wages, and pay small instalments at intervals. £22 Os. fid. is being paid by instalments. Return showing Cases and Penalties paid and owing by Workers (other than Slaughtermen). £ s. d. Percentage. Total number of cases in which penalties inflicted, 364 Total amount of penalties . . . . .. .. 378 5 6 Amount paid within three months .. . . . . 287 2 6 75| Amount paid within six months .. .. .. .. 615 0 1| Amount paid over six months . . . . . . .. 7 13 0 2 Total amount unpaid .. .. .. .. 76 15 0 20| Of the amount of £76 15s. unpaid, £31 15s. is owing by men whose whereabouts are unknown. There is very little chance of collecting this amount, which represents about 8J per cent, of the total penalties. . £44 10s. is owing by men only recently fined. This represents nearly 12 per cent., and steps are beint> taken for recovery in the usual way. In many cases distress warrants were issued, but not served on the parties, as they had left their respective addresses and could not be found. They evidently left soon after the penalty was imposed, and it is almost impossible to trace them. Of this amount l()s. is owing by a worker against whom a distress warrant was issued, but who had nothing to distrain upon. Ho has since gone to Australia. Slaughtermen's Fines as at 31st March, 1909. £ s. d. Percentage. Total number of cases in which penalties inflicted, 266 Total amount of penalties . . .. . . . . 1,330 0 0 Amount paid within three months . . . . . . 422 10 0 31| Amount paid within six months .. .. .. 70 5 0 5J Amount paid over six months. . .. . . . . 283 12 9 21£ Total amount unpaid . . . . . . . . 553 12 3 41 i Total amount of penalties recovered up to 31st March, 1909. . 776 7 9 58-|-In respect to the amou it unpaid (£553 12s. 3d.), sixty-seven slaughtermen, owing penalties totalling £286 6s. 3d., cannot at present be located. In one case an Inspector was successful in recovering the amount of £1 155., being the balance of £5 fine due by a slaughterman who went to America and returned after more than a year's absence. [Note.—In March those men that had been traced were given a final opportunity to pay their amount by instalments, but few availed themselves of this offer. Orders of attachment of wages were served on severcl of those who ignored the final notice, and by this means about £ICO has been recovered, and further amounts are being received. It is expected that shortly all outstanding moneys due by men whose whereabouts are known will be recovered.] For the year ending the 31st March the total collection of fines was as follows :- — £ s. d From employers .. .. .. .. .. .. 498 12 6 From workers . . .. .. .. .. .. 202 8 0 From slaughtermen .. .. . .. .. .. 180 15 (J The latter amount represents arrears of fines due since March, 1907.

iv-H. 11.

XXV