H—ll

1(0) Servants' Registry Offices Act, 1908 (1) First introduced in 1892 as a result of complaints regarding excessive fees, wrongful charges, and other abuses, this measure provides for the registration of all servants' registry offices carried on for profit. The character of proposed licensees is subject to check ; maximum fees and the records to be kept are prescribed ; inspection by the Inspector of Factories is provided for ; and there is also a prohibition on licensees having an interest in lodginghouses for servants. (2) Of the thirteen registered premises referred to in last year's report two have not renewed licences. Two others have commenced business. Thus there were thirteen offices registered as at 31st March, 1950. The activities of one of these is restricted to nurse-housekeepers and registered nurses. There are at least two other "establishments restricted to the placing of nurses, but as these do not charge fees registration is unnecessary. (3) In 1933 the International Labour Conference adopted a convention providing for the abolition of fee-charging employment agencies. It received very limited support and even those countries that ratified it found difficulty in its application. It has therefore been revised and now provides alternatives, (a) the progressive abolition, and (b) the regulation, of such agencies. (p) Share-milking Agreements Act, 1937 (1) This Act operates only where the farm-owner provides the herd. Every share-milking agreement is to operate not less favourably for the share-milker in any respect than the terms and conditions specified. (2) Use of the share-milking system is chiefly centred in a few North Island districts, .and the Department's activities have been largely in the direction of furnishing information (there being a considerable demand for copies of the standard terms and conditions) .and advice, with some small assistance in the appointment of arbitrators or the .adjudication in disputes. (3) Terms and conditions at present in operation are those contained in the Sharemilking Agreements Order 1946 (Serial number 1946/156) as amended in 1948 (Serial aiumber 1948/36). Two sets of circumstances are provided for, (a) where the sharemilkers' duties comprise only care and feeding of stock and milking, and (6) where the sharemilkers' duties comprise milking, care and feeding of stock, and farm-maintenance work. Variation of conditions, if agreed to by or on behalf of organizations representing farmers and workers, or as recommended by the Court of Arbitration if those organizations are unable to reach agreement, can be effected by Order in Council. Section s—lndustrial5 —Industrial Relations (a) The Court of Arbitration (1) The work of the Court in making awards and approving (for economic stabilization purposes) industrial agreements is indicated by the following table :

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1 Year ended 31st March, ' 1949. 1950. Awards made 167 185 Industrial agreements approved 55 58 Amendments to existing awards or industrial agreements 17 508* Apprenticeship orders made 15 8 Amendments to existing apprenticeship orders 7 7 Miscellaneous (interpretations, enforcements, &c.) 119 71 ' , * The Court, during this period amended awards and industrial agreements in line with the Standard Wage Pronouncement dated 12th April, 1949, and recorded in 49 Book of Awards 641. This pronouncement was reported in the, Department's annual report, for the year ended 31st March, 1949. ■ 1