H.—ll

Juveniles The unsatisfied demand for juvenile labour continues, particularly in the main centres of industry. It was pointed out in last year's report that in some industries there is no separate wage-rate, for juniors, who, if employed, become entitled to adult rates as " all other workers." Many juveniles are, in fact, so employed, and it is this type of employment that gives rise to reports regarding high wages for juveniles. Workshop Committees The introduction of workshop committees in factories has not developed to any great extent. While in some factories committees have contributed to the mutual advantage of employers and workers, in others little advantage has accrued from committee meetings. In many cases the failure of the committees to function satisfactorily is due to the introduction of matters outside the scope of the committee. The objects of workshop committees are, generally, to promote and maintain harmonious relationships, and to discuss suggestions for the smoother running or for the more efficient conduct of the operations at the works. There is a tendency to regard the workshop committee as a committee for the ventilation of disputes in substitution for the disputes committee established under the award of the Court of Arbitration, and the special purposes for which it was set up have thus not been secured. There has been some criticism of the Works Efficiency Councils established under the Freezing Industry Emergency Regulations 1940 (Serial number 1940/312) on the above grounds. On the other hand, instances have occurred in some works where suggestions by committees have not received sympathetic consideration by the management. The success or failure of workshop committees depends on the degree of understanding and co-operation between the management and the workers, also a unity of purpose to promote industrial harmony and efficiency. FACTORIES ACT Number of Factories and Factory Workers For the registration year 1943-44 the number of factories registered was 16,010. In these factories there were employed 13,985 working occupiers, 80,369 male employees, and 38,245 female employees, a total of 132,599 workers. Previous year: 15,714 working occupiers, 76,754 male employees, and 38,092 female employees, a total of 130,560 workers. The trades in which the principal variations in the number of male workers occurred are engineering (general), 1,173 increase ; meat-freezing, &c., 995 increase ; tanning and fellmongering, 276 increase ; butter and cheese manufacturing, 542 decrease. Accidents in Factories As the reports on accidents which occurred to workers in factories during the year 1942 had not been tabulated, it was not possible to include the usual information in last year's annual report. Information now available discloses the total number of accidents reported to be 7,496. Action on 8 of these has not been completed. Details of the 7,488 (6,844 males and 644 females) are —Age : Under 16,193; 16-20, 1,012; 21-24,834; 25-34,2,178; 35-44,1,575; 45-54,989; 55 and over, 640; not stated, 67. Disability : Fatal, 6 ; permanent partial, 185 ; temporary, 7,297. Causes : Fixed machinery, 994 ; vehicles, 48 ; explosives, fires, and hot substances, 203 ; poisonous and corrosive substances, 205 ; electricity, 16 ; falls of persons, 907 ; stepping on or striking against fixed objects, 449; falling or otherwise moving objects, 267 ; falls of earth, 2 ; handling objects, 2,587 ; handtools, 1,425 ; animals, 42; miscellaneous, 343. Time lost: 151,410 days. Compensation paid : £134,732 4s. 9d. Preliminary figures for the 1943 year show a total of 7,591 (6,989 males and 602 females) reported accidents in factories. Details are—Age : Under 16, 151 ; 16-20, 1,264 ; 21-24, 919 ; 25-34, 2,140 ; 35-44, 1,577 ; 45-54, 893 ; 55 and over, 615 ; not stated, 32. Disability : Fatal, 10 ; permanent partial, 138 ; temporary, 7,443. Causes : Fixed machinery, 893 ; vehicles, 37 ; explosives, fires, and hot substances, 246 ; poisonous and corrosive substances, 272 ; electricity, 16 ; falls of persons, 695 ; stepping on or striking against fixed objects, 483 ; falling or otherwise moving objects, 316 ; falls of earth, 5 ; handling of objects, 2,784 ; hand-tools, 1,479 ; animals, 40 ; miscellaneous, 325. Time lost: 145,706 days. Compensation paid : £115,579 16s. 3d. The following particulars are given of the fatal accidents that occurred during the 1943 year : — While trimming a coal-hopper a worker was buried and suffocated by a slide of coal: An employee of a freezing-works was boning beef. The knife, which was pointing towards him, slipped and entered his groin. Death occurred from shock and loss of blood : A youth of fourteen died two days after being severely burned as a result of a fire and explosion caused when he poured some kerosene, which may have had a small quantity of petrol mixed with it, on to a coke brazier. No one witnessed the occurrence : As a result of a fall down a lift-well a worker received severe back injuries from which he died some days later. The worker had omitted to close the gates, which were not operating properly, and the lift had meanwhile been taken to a higher floor :

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| 1914-15. | 1926-27. 1936-37. | 1943-44. Auckland metropolitan area .. .. 15,672 20,851 24,688 33,596 Wellington metropolitan area .. .. 9,505 13,561 17,430 21,647 Remainder of North Island .. .. 24,166 28,029 29,410 31,250 Christchurch metropolitan area .. .. 12,176 14,368 14,469 18,151 Dunedin metropolitan area .. .. 11,090 10,339 9,276 11,757 Remainder of South Island .. .. 16,203 16,256 15,768 16,198 Totals .. .. .. .. 88,812 103,404 111,041 132,599