H.—li

XIX

Councils of Conciliation. The result of the Commissioners' work is summarized in the following table : —

Compared with last year the results show that twenty-one more cases were fully settled in 1911-12. Since their establishment in January, 1909, the Councils have dealt with 308 cases, and of this total 218 have been fully settled, whilst the number referred to the Court (i.e., in which no agreement has been effected by the Commissioners and their assessors) totals 34. Cases partly settled (i.e., leaving but a few clauses over to the Court) total 56. The reports of the Commissioners appear in this report (see page Ixxvi). Monet recovered for Workers under various Acts. The following table gives a list showing the amounts collected by the Department's Inspectors on behalf of workers : —

The total amount collected was £1,901 14s. 4d., as compared with £1,250 13s. Id. collected for the year ending 31st March, 1911. In all these cases the facts are fully inquired into by the Department's officers, and settlement is agreed to in cases of pure inadvertence only.

Wobkbrs' Compensation Act. During the year ending 31st March, 1912, twenty cases were brought before the Court of Arbitration under this Act, a decrease of four as compared with the previous year. As a result, four workers who had been partially incapacitated by accident were awarded sums totalling £233 10s. 5d., and one, who was suffering from neurasthenia, was awarded a nominal weekly sum until the extent of his incapacity could be determined. In three cases the relatives of workers killed by accident were awarded various sums totalling £885. The other ten cases were dismissed. The most important cases dealt with are as follow-: — (1.) Concerning the computation of earnings of a claimant to compensation : A master of a coastal steamer received a salary of £4 12s. 9d. per week, with board and lodging in addition. During thirty days of the period that he was employed lie lived at home, but this was not in pursuance of any agreement with his employers. It was held that the value of his board and lodging should be estimated at 10s. per week for the whole period of employment, as the board and lodging were at all times available. The plaintiff's earnings were therefore reckoned at £5 2s. 9d. per week, and as they exceeded £5 per w r eck he was not entitled to the benefits of the Act. (Decisions, Vol. x, p. 1.)

Industrial District. at _u Number Number ,. „ Number in which no Settlement was made, and whole Dispute was referred to Court. Total. Northern and Taranaki Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland Canterbury, and Otago and Southland 17 45 24 7 8 4 5 I 8 29 54 36 Grand totals 86 19 14 119

Industrial Distriot. Under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Under the Factories Act. Under the Shops and Offices Act. Northern taranaki Wellington Telson Westland Janterbury )tago and Southland .. £ s. d. 335 6 2 10 17 6 376 5 4 30 0 0 6 4 6 477 15 11 186 18 9 £ s. d. 12 8 0 23 15 0 74 10 10 20 0 0 42 3 4 38 1 9 18 2 6 £ s. d. 17 16 6 21 1 3 53 3 8 11 11 0 52 3 0 93 9 4 Totals 1,423 8 2 229 1 5 249 4 9