H.—ll

XVIII

cannot pay at present; £2 by an employer who was accidentally killed soon after the fine was imposed; and £23 Is. of the total amount of penalties is owing by persons only recently fined. Steps are being taken in the usual way to collect the amounts owing. Return showing Total Cases and Penalties paid, and owing by Workers (other than Slaughtermen, for which see below) as at 31st March, 1912 (from inception of Act). Total number of cases in which penalties inflicted, 710. £ s d. Percentage Total amount of penalties ... .... ... ... 836 12 0 Total amount paid ... ... ... ... 566 11 9 67f Total amount outstanding .... ... ... ... 270 0 3 32 \ Of the amount outstanding, £82 9s. 5d., representing nearly 10 per cent, of the total amount of penalties, is owing by workers whose present whereabouts are unknown (distress warrants were issued against them at various times, but were returned either for the reason given or, where warrants could then be served, there were no effects to seize. Some of these workers were only recently fined, while others disappeared either before or just after the penalties were imposed). £75 ss. 6d. is being paid by instalments; £2 13s. is owing by men against whom distress warrants have been issued, but so far without effect; £1 12s. 4d. by two workers who were recently drowned; and £8 by workers only recently fined, for the recovery of which the usual steps are being taken. Included in the total of £270 os. 3d. outstanding is the sum of £100 penalty inflicted on an industrial union of workers for aiding and abetting a strike. Enforcement of payment of the penalty is being held over pending an appeal to the Arbitration Court, which has been lodged by the union and which will be heard at an early date. Out of the total amount of penalties inflicted on slaughtermen in the year 1907 —viz., £1,330 —it will be noted that there is still an amount of £295 outstanding, or 22 per cent, of the whole. There is no change in these figures since the last report was published. Of the amount outstanding (£295), nearly two-thirds is due by seventy-two slaughtermen who cannot be traced. It is extremely doubtful whether the Department will be able to collect any more moneys due by slaughtermen, and, considering the whole of the circumstances surrounding these penalties, I think that the Department has done good work in getting in nearly 80 per cent, of the total amount inflicted. The business dealt with under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908, during the year ending 31st March, 1912, is summarized in the following table:— Industrial agreements ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 Arbitration Court. Awards ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 Enforcements of awards (conducted by Department) ... ... ... 17 Interpretations of awards ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 Other decisions (amending awards, adding parties, &c.) ... ... 45 Appeals from decisions of Stipendiary Magistrates ... ... ... 3 Application for awards refused ... ... .. ... ... 3 Cases under the Workers' Compensation Act... ... ... ... 20 Magistrates' Courts. Enforcements of awards (conducted by Department) ... ... ... 444 Enforcements of awards (conducted by unions) ... .. ... 20 Enforcements of section 6, Amendment Act (re strikes) ... ... 2 Enforcement of section 4, Amendment Act (re lockout) ... ... ... nil. Permits to under-rate workers ... ... ... ... ... 3 Councils of Conciliation. Recommendations (see Reports of Conciliation Commissioners)... ... 119 Inspectors of Factories. Permits to under-rate workers . . ... ... ... ... 106 Secretaries of Unions. Permits to under-rate workers ... ~, ~, ~ ... 67