been opened during the present winter season, and the Harbour Trust have agreed to erect a permanent one which will be ready by May, 1927. It has been found possible to acquire a site which will take in all the curing yards except two or three.

As regards Fraserburgh I am waiting to hear further as to the arrangements for next season. The two existing dressing stations are not so situated as to take in all the yards and it is difficult to obtain premises in a more central position.

In Peterhead the arrangements made under the voluntary agreement are such that every curing yard is within 440 yards of a dressing station.

Certificates of exemption from Clauses 3 and 4 of the Order have been granted in 96 cases. The distribution is as follows:-Glasgow district 21, Lanarkshire 5, Edinburgh 8, Inverness 44, Aberdeen 18. Two claims are in abeyance and two stations, while not complying, have made no application for exemption.

The provision of first aid boxes in the yards was almost universal, though in many cases the outfit had to be supplemented. Even as early as the beginning of the summer season most firms had at least one cooper trained in first aid. Where they had not it was generally due to the numbers for classes being made up before the coopers returned from Yarmouth. In these cases arrangements were to be made for the necessary training during this winter.

The requirements with regard to water supply for rinsing purposes and means of drainage did not present any special difficulties except in the islands where there was an insufficient public supply and where it was necessary to accept such provision as was possible under the circumstances though not equal to that at the mainland centres.

Orders having been made to cover the most important fishing centres, inquiries were carried out regarding the conditions existing at the other smaller centres, and a report has been furnished by Miss Coombes (E. Lancs. Division). She says:

Compared with Yarmouth and Lowestoft, where thousands of gutters are employed during the season, all these centres are small and unimportant, and I gave prominence to this difference in size when reporting on the need for a Welfare Order.

Another important difference which was given consideration is that of possible weather conditions. With the exception perhaps of North Shields, where the plots are exposed on the sea wall, there is not the same possibility at any of the minor stations of hardships to the workers arising from the necessity to work in the open exposed to east winds in rough weather, as is sometimes the case at Yarmouth and Lowestoft. But the processes were the same, and the conditions at many of the Ports were extremely primitive, leading one to the conclusion that some form of Order is necessary in order to insure adequate protection and comfort to the imported workers.

The unique conditions of this industry require the assistance of some voluntary agency to insure the smooth and successful working of a Welfare Scheme, and I was most favourably impressed by the practical help given by the National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen at Milford Haven and elsewhere.

The conditions were found to vary a good deal. At some centres the conditions were bad. At Holyhead, for example, a new station, where the season was short, workers employed in the open on the Turkey Shore were without water, without sanitary accommodation, and without shelter, though matters were improved for the Scottish workers by the successful running of a very small Welfare hut, provided with the co-operation of the Y.M.C.A. and the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Similarly, the general conditions on the plots at North Shields were reported to be very unsatisfactory, but the Tynemouth Corporation state that they have passed plans for the

erection of new sanitary accommodation for both men and women, and that they are dealing with the question of providing fresh water to the plots. On the other hand, at Milford Haven much more has been done for the workers.

Miss Coombes.-The Secretary of the Mission, and her assistant are keenly interested in the imported fish workers, and since 1925, when I understand special need for welfare work arose, the Mission has built a new hut for the use of men and given up the old hut entirely to the women. This hut consists of a comfortable room with a small canteen for light refreshments and another small room used for First Aid treatment. The hut was open every day from 7.30 a.m. until the women finished work.

The women used the rest room and canteen freely and found it of great value when they were obliged to await the arrival of fish. During the season 110 cases were treated in the First Aid room and although many were slight cases it appeared that good preventive work had been done.

It is evident from the results of the enquiry that there is a need for simple welfare arrangements at these centres, including a central hut where the workers can obtain first aid treatment, rest and shelter during the intervals of work, and also an adequate supply of fresh water.

Hollow-ware and Galvanising.-The Order, requiring protective clothing, applies to important groups of works in the Midland Division. Early in the year questions arose concerning the terms of the agreement reached by the Galvanising Conciliation Board Joint Committee in 1922, defining the nature and amount of protective clothing which should be deemed to constitute compliance with the Order. On enquiries being made, it transpired that the terms of that agreement were not regarded, by either employers or workers, as entirely suitable for the Midland hollow-ware and general galvanising trades, which had not been represented at the London conference in 1922.

Accordingly, negotiations were opened by Mr. Werner (Superintending Inspector) with the Employers' Association concerned and with the operatives' organisation, viz. the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers (Lye district), and representatives of both sides met him at a joint meeting and agreed unanimously to the following :

(1) All persons engaged in and about the pickling tanks and machines, including picklers, assistant picklers, cleaners, tankers, throwers-up, etc., to be supplied with the following:

(a) Clogs as necessary, with a minimum of three pairs annually.

(b) Sail cloth aprons or old sacking for aprons and similar materials for leg coverings to be supplied, as required.

(2) Dippers to be supplied with clogs, as necessary.

(3) Men emptying and cleaning pickling tanks and acid storage tanks, to be supplied with suitable clothing, and rubber boots for those who enter tanks for such purposes. Men handling carboys of acid to and from boat or rail to be supplied with suitable clothing.

These modified terms have since been duly ratified by the Employers' and Operatives' Associations respectively and they are applicable to workers in wet processes in the Wrought Iron

Hollow-ware Galvanising trade (which includes 46 associated firms in the Midland Division and 3 in other Divisions) and in the General Galvanising trade (in which there are 13 associated firms, all in the Midland Division).

Voluntary Welfare Work.-There is nothing very new to add this year on the subject of voluntary welfare. It may be that owing to the industrial dislocation there was some slowing down of voluntary schemes. There were, however, some conspicuous exceptions, and interesting developments are referred to in the reports in the linoleum and paper industry in Fifeshire, in the cotton and biscuit trades in Lancashire, and in miscellaneous engineering work in London.

PARTICULARS.

The following report has been submitted by Mr. Hermon Taylor, Senior Inspector of Textile Particulars, on the work of his Branch:

Except in a few isolated instances, the requirements of the Particulars Section have been very well observed. It has generally been sufficient to point out any default respecting price lists or separate particulars to have them corrected without undue delay. Owing to exceptionally bad trade many cotton manufacturers, who in ordinary times keep to certain classes of cloth, have taken orders for sorts and qualities which they have never made before. Coloured-goods manufacturers have been found weaving grey cloths; and vice versa. These changes in the normal work of the factory have sometimes led to the inadvertant omission of various particulars from weavers' tickets, and to incorrect particulars of the length and width of the cloths. Where the order sheets have been shown to prove there has been a miscalculation and the weavers given backpay, we have overlooked such cases with a warning only.

Two instances have, however, occurred of wrong particulars being supplied in consequence of which the workers-in both cases weavers did not receive the full wages to which they were entitled. As these were considered too serious to pass over with a caution, both the occupiers concerned were prosecuted and convictions secured. The facts were shortly as follows:-One firm was summoned for working change wheels on the looms which put more picks into the cloth than were paid for. An exact knowledge of the number of picks is important and necessary for the purpose of enabling a weaver to calculate how much money he should receive in wages. On the particular work which formed the subject of the proceedings, the picks given on several weavers' cards were understated and so caused the weavers to lose a penny on each piece of cloth woven. The penalty and costs amounted to £6 2s. 6d.

The other was a case of an entirely different kind. Amongst the many particulars required to enable the wages to be reckoned correctly is the reed space of a loom. In the Uniform List of Prices for Weaving a 45 in. reed space loom is taken as a standard, a percentage varying from one-and-a-half to three being added. to a weaver's wages for every additional inch up to seventy-two. A number of looms were measured and found to be wider than stated, some by 1 in. and others by 24 in. more than was specified on the weavers' tickets. This understatement caused the weavers to lose in some instances 1 per cent. of their wages; in others 21 per cent., and in others 5 per cent. In a large factory these comparatively small sums soon total up to a fairly substantial amount. The Bench fined the defendant firm £7 and 7s. costs in each of five cases, a total of £36 15s. Od.

By cutting down the backboard of a loom so as to accommodate a wider reed, a manufacturer is enabled to weave a broader cloth than he would otherwise be able to do. As the List above referred to states that for any fraction of an inch up to the half, no addition or deduction shall be made, but if over the half the same shall be paid as if it were a full inch, it follows that in some cases a very small addition in width will affect the calculation of a weaver's wages. It is, therefore, very important that the reed space after any alteration has been made should be carefully measured and the new width put upon the weaver's ticket. By doing this a manufacturer makes sure that in altering his looms he is not at the same time contravening the Particulars Section of the Act.

In cotton sheds where several sorts of the same counts are used simultaneously, manufacturers still complain about weft mixing by weavers and frequently grumble because they are not legally allowed to use symbols to obviate it. This year, however, only two firms have been found using symbols instead of counts. Though in these cases the weavers were being correctly paid, an important particular which they were entitled to know-important because it affected the calculation of the wages-was being withheld. The difficulty in this matter is with wefts below 40s and above 100, as these counts in either one class of goods or another, affect the weavers' wages. For counts between these numbers it is sufficient to give the word "medium," hence the same difficulty does not arise when these are being used. Both firms promised to stop the practice after it was pointed out that it was illegal and made them liable in every instance to a penalty of Ten Pounds. Subsequent visits showed they had kept their promises.

Little of an unusual nature relating to piece-work has happened in the linen, jute, silk or woollen and worsted trades. A complaint was received from a weaver at a worsted weaving firm alleging that payment was not made for the full length of the warps. This complaint was verified. The warps in question were 600 yards long, divided into eight cuts of 75 yards each. The first cut was paid for as being 73 yards and 1 ft. only in length, 5 ft. being

deducted for the thrum-a portion of warp that cannot be woven into cloth and therefore becomes waste. It was pointed out to the manager that the custom of the trade was to pay for the full length of the warp and therefore it was illegal to make any deduction for the thrums. Eventually he promised to pay the full price on all cuts, a promise which he has fulfilled.

In

Several hosiery and garment knitting factories, though none of large dimensions, have started during the year. Like the older places, most of them pay the workers by the piece, and consequently have received the attention of my staff to see that they were giving the necessary particulars of work and wages. some instances these new occupiers professed ignorance of the requirements of the Particulars Section. Full and detailed instruction was given, and usually this has been followed by compliance.

The lace trade is still in a deplorable condition and this, doubtless, is responsible for a little slackness in supplying particulars which has been noticed. The reduction of staffs to a minimum and the changing of operatives from one machine to another, have created a situation of real difficulty, especially to small occupiers who very often have been compelled personally to undertake all the clerical work connected with the business.

A complaint was received from an operative, relative to the rates of payment at a certain lace factory. This operative was under the misapprehension that we could demand the Trade Union Rate to be paid. On investigation the firm was found to be committing no breach of the Section as full and correct particulars of both work and wages were supplied, though the latter was not the Standard Trade Union Rate, and therefore the complaint was not substantiated.

A rather interesting complaint respecting an unstamped indicator was investigated in another works. At most lace factories the lace hands are paid by the number of "racks." The Section requires that when an indicator is used to ascertain work, "it shall have marked on its case the number of teeth in each wheel and the diameter of the driving roller." An employer invented an indicator of a new type and fixed it to most of his lace machines. Its mechanism is very simple and consists of four wheels and a pointer. On the wheels consecutive figures are stamped which on passing the pointer indicate the quantity of work done. In the usually accepted meaning of the word, there are no teeth in the wheels and no driving roller. The whole is completely enclosed in a locked case (the key of which is kept in the office) but as a glass front is fixed to it through which the worker may see both the entire mechanism and its working, there can be no question of its accuracy. The advantage claimed for it over the old style is that it cannot be tampered with, and this is the reason for its adoption by the inventor's firm. The peculiar