H.—ll

XXVI

Several linns engaged in the manufacture of sauces, pickles, and oilmen's stores have built new factories At Evans Bay an extensive and modern laundry has been built by a shipping company; this will take away from local laundries the work hitherto distributed to them. At the same place the company is building extensive repairing works and stores. When completed, this new departure will be a big industrial asset to the district. The Factories Act. The full acceptance of this Act as a necessary measure by all concerned makes the enforcement of its provisions now an easy task. Every factory in the district has been visited during the year, and the conditions obtaining for the welfare of employees have been brought up 10 the requirements of the Act. In a number of instances the means tor escape in case of lire have required improvement, and in some cases. whilst provision has been made as to the mode of exit, staircases, iVc, the approaches have not always been kept clear, and it lias been necessary to impress on the occupiers the necessity of keeping the avenues of exit char at all times. During the year several new buildings were erected for factory purposes. Before the erection of same was gone on with I wrote to the owners suggesting, in their own interests, that plans be submitted in order to ascertain whether the requirements of the Act would be met; and in the preliminary survey of the plans various adjustments were shown to be necessary, which if left to the completion of the buildings would have entailed considerable extra expense and delay. I have since written to the secretary of the Architects' Association suggesting that plans of all buildings likely to be used for factory purposes Ik submitted to the Department before erection is begun. In the interests of their clients it is hoped that this course will be followed. Following on the amendment passed last yea,-, attention has been given to the workinghours of laundries, in order to see that, as required by the amendment, no work has been done, by either employers or employees, before 7. to a.m. or after 7 p.m. without permits. Undoubtedly this amendment was made to prevent Chinese laundry-proprietors from competing unfairly with Europeans by working excessive hours; but so far. owing no doubt to slackness of the trade, the restriction has not appeared necessary. The extension of the limit of overtime under section 22 will, mainly on account of the scarcity of female labour in many industries, be found very useful. The provisions of section 32 (aa) ami section 38 (3), prohibiting deduction from the weekly wages of young persons on account of lost time and holidays respectively, might, I consider, be extended to apply to all females irrespective of age. Several factory occupiers have expressed the same opinion, urging that this universal application would be preferable to tho present discrimination as to age. With regard to the time foi- taking proceedings for offences under sections 32, 38, and 54, I respectively submit that the limit of time (section 61) should be extended to at least six months. During the year 1,098 factories were registered, an increase of 31 over the previous year. Certificates of fitness to young persons under sixteen years of age to work in factories wenissued to 393 persons, 149 boys and 244 girls. This shows an increase of 107 on the number issued last year. During the year 54,902 hours' overtime was worked by 2,010 boss and women, an increase of 12,280 hours on the number recorded last year. There were 107 accidents reported, an increase of 44 on the number reported last year. Two were fatal. Both occurred at meat-works. Of the others, none was serious enough to call for comment. In every instance specific enquiry was made, and advice given in respect to compen sntion, &c. Prosecutions. — Although there have been a number of breaches and omissions on the part of occupiers, such a ready and prompt compliance has been given to requests for adjustment that it has not been necessary to take proceedings in a single instance. In connection with these adjustments a sum of £36 6s. sd. has been recovered and disbursed to the workers concerned. Sinn's and Offices Act. During the year 1,571 shops were registered, an increase of 33 over those of the previous year. Inspection was made of every shop in the districf, careful attention being paid to the con ditions obtaining for the health and welfare of the assistants. In this respect the reports were very favourable, adjustments being necessary in only a few instances. The Amendment Act of 1910 now brings hotels and restaurants more completely under the Act, particularly with regard to the regulation of the working-hours. As these are fixed on a fairly liberal scale—a ten-hour day—little difficulty is anticipated in its enforcement. The weekly half-holiday, now assured to all workers in restaurants, while previously only waiters and waitresses were entitled to it, removes a hardship which existed far too long. In respect to the keeping of a " holiday-book," difficulty is experienced in getting tho assistants to sign it before leaving the premises, as required by the amendment. The provision requiring the occupier of a shop to keep a wages and time book is already found to be a great factor in enabling Inspectors to enforce the law respecting wages and overtime. Clause 13, requiring the registration of each shop in the name of one person as occupier, and the restriction of evening work to such person and his family, was, I understand, enacted to meet cases of unfair competition by small traders working in partnership to the detriment of those employing a number of assistants. While no doubt this provision has bad the desired effect, considerable complaints are made by small traders at the interference with their business. Personally I think that the abuse which this amendment was designed to prevent related only to one or two industries, and if the amendment bad been limited accordingly very little real complaint would have been heard.