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The inspections also include 66 new air-receivers made in the Dominion and 33 made abroad, and 514 new unfired pressure vessels, other than air-receivers, made in the Dominion and 320 made abroad. By reason of the world shortage of boiler steel, the demand for new boilers cannot be satisfied, and, in consequence, aged boilers which would otherwise be scrapped are of necessity kept in service. Chief of the possible dangerous defects of aged boilers are concealed cracks, which are invisible to ordinary methods of detection. Where a case arises in which a dangerous crack in a boiler-shell plate is suspected, it is the policy of the Department to take the boiler out of service and investigate the matter immediately. It is fortunate that many defects which at first sight indicate dangerous cracks prove, after expert investigation, to be of only minor importance. It is satisfactory to report that there has been no explosion during the year of any boiler or other pressure vessels subject to statutory inspection. Machinery The following statement shows the number of machines, machinery plants, lifts, cranes, hoists, and tractors (Group " B ") inspected during the year ended 31st March, 1948, and the corresponding figures for 1946-47 : 1947-48. 1946-47. Machines driven by steam power in 1,419 plants .. .. .. .. 7,622 7,234 (1,500 plants) Machines driven by power other than steam in 11,612 plants .. .. .. 88,136 87,074 (12,159 plants) Electric-power-supply stations .. 137 138 Lifts .. .. .. .. 3,536 3,561 Cranes .. .. .. .. 682 595 Hoists .. .. .. .. 1,985 1,999 Tractors .. .. .. .. 297 337 Total inspections in Group "B" 102,395 100,938 Total inspections in Group "A" 16,438 15,652 Grand total of inspections (Groups "A " and "B ") .. .. 118,833 116,590 There has been again an increase in the total number of inspections, the increase during 1947-48 being 2,243 over the previous year, including 24 power cranes and 21 lifts inspected for the first time, and the revenue from the machinery-inspection service again shows an increase over that for the year ended 31st March, 1947. Plans of all new boilers, air-receivers, and other unfired pressure vessels and of new cranes and lifts totalling 1,071 units have been examined and approved during the year ended 31st March, 1948. Industrial power machinery during the year under review has been the cause of a number of accidents involving human life and limb, but, despite the fact of an increase in the total number of machines inspected during the year ended 31st March, 1948, there is a reduction of the incidence of fatal accidents. The figures for machinery accidents for the past year and for the preceding year are given below : 1947-48. 1946-47. Fatal accidents .. .. 4 7 Non-fatal accidents .. .. .. 121 107 Total .. .. ..125 114

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