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Apprenticeship Commission A Commission on Inquiry into apprenticeship and related matters was appointed on 19th April, 1944. Its report has been presented as parliamentary paper H.-11b. ARREARS OF WAGES Amounts totalling £13,876 4s. Id. (last year, £15,663 15s. lid.) were collected by the Department's officers on behalf of workers who had been underpaid the wages prescribed by awards and the various Acts, while further amounts of such arrears totalling £15,665 7s. 2d. (last year, £17,852 13s. 6d.) were paid by employers at the instance of the Inspectors directly to the workers concerned: total, £29,541 lis. 3d. (last year, £33,516 9s. 5d.) Inspectors of Factories also took civil proceedings in forty-two cases for recovery of wages due to workers, judgments being secured to the amount £476 10s. 10d. WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT During the year 118 cases were heard and determined by the Compensation Court (previous year, 114). Amendment of Worked,s' Compensation Act, 1922 Three amendments were effected by sections 68 to 71 of the Statutes Amendment Act, 1944, viz. :— (a) Further protection is accorded to pupil nurses and other persons over twenty-one years of age who are training for any occupation and who are not apprentices or improvers. Under the law as amended they are entitled, should the accident be one causing permanent incapacity, to be compensated on the same basis as apprentices or improvers —i.e., on the basis of what they would probably have been able to earn on completion of their training. (b) In connection with the obligation of employers to insure against their liability for payment of workers' compensation employers are now required to produce to the Inspector of Factories oil demand the indemnity policy (or a duplicate thereof), together with the last premium receipt or renewal notice. (c) Education Boards and other controlling authorities of teachers' training colleges, public schools, secondary schools, technical schools, technical high schools, and combined schools, as defined in the Education Act, 1914, are exempted from the obligation imposed by section 9 of the Workers' Compensation Act, 1943, to insure against liability for compensation in respect of teachers, probationary assistants, and training-college students. The Crown, through the Education Department, indemnifies such controlling authorities against liability to pay compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act, 1922, to the classes of persons referred to. AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ACT, 1936, AND SHEARERS' ACCOMMODATION ACT, 1919, ALSO SHARE-MILKING AGREEMENTS ACT, 1937 Remuneration and Conditions op Employment Rates of wages for adult agricultural workers employed on dairy-farms were increased from £3 a week to £3 17s. 6d. a week, subsequently increased to £4 a week on Ist August, 1944 (where board and lodging is not provided by the employer an additional amount of £1 a week is payable to the worker) : see Agricultural Workers Wage Fixation Orders 194-4 (Serial Nos. 1944/97 and 1944/145). Rates of wages for adult agricultural workers employed on farms and stations were increased from £2 17s. 6d. per week to £3 15s. from Ist April, 1945 (where board and lodging is not provided by the employer an additional amount of £1 is payable to the worker) : see Agricultural Workers Extension Order 1942, Amendment No. 1 (Serial No. 1945/31). For comparison purposes the minimum rates prescribed for the several classes of agricultural workers are given in tabular form : —-

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Date from Reference in Class. Rate for Adult Worker. which Authorizing Measure. T j a u "T payable. Series 0 " 3 Dairy farms .. £4 per week (plus board 1/8/44 The Agricultural Workers 1944/145 and lodging) Wage Fixation Order (No. 2) 1944 Farms and stations £3 15s. per week (plus 1/4/45 The Agricultural Workers 1945/31 board and lodging) Extension Order 1942, Amendment No. 1 Orchards .. *£4 15s. per week; 2s. 3d. 1/1/44 The Agricultural Workers 1944/13 per hour Extension Order 1940, Amendment No. 2 Tobacco .. 2s. 3d. per hour .. 9/8/43 The Agricultural Workers 1943/129 Extension Order 1941, Amendment No. 1 Market gardens .. £4 per week; 2s. per hour 1938 and Various.. .. .. 1938/53, 1939 1938/74, 1938/92, 1938/184, 1939/58 * Less 19s. 3d. if board and lodging is provided,