certificates were issued and 215 were cancelled, 60 applica- tions were refused and, in addition, 17 unregistered factories were found operating in unsuitable premises and were closed down. There were, at the end of the year, 991 registered factories and workshops and 284 applications under consideration.
The field of inspection now embraces 140 different types of industry, the most notable addition being the manufacture of woollen yarn. There are two woollen yarn mills in modern buildings, equipped and run on modern lines and employing a total of 350 workers.
Two egg-preserving factories one, a factory designed for the purpose and the other
a reconstructed factory building-have not been able to commence business as it was found impossible to obtain sufficient eggs from China. Egg-preserving would have been an industry new to Hong Kong and an estimated daily output of one ton of albumen and four tons of yolk was intended for United Kingdom markets.
Employment returns for registered factories and work- shops have not yet been received for the last quarter, but those for the third quarter show a total labour force of approximately 75,000 and include the following changes during the year: Cotton spinning from 7 mills with 2,400 workers, to 12 mills with 5,500 workers; enamelled hollow- ware from 5 factories with 1,400 workers, to 13 factories with 2,500 workers; weaving from 147 factories with 5,200 workers, to 125 factories with 6,000 workers: 30 small weaving establishments, formerly operating in domestic- type premises, are known to have closed down but the industry has gained by the establishment of 5 modern factory-type buildings, 3 of which are equipped with auto- matic looms.
Out of a total of 11,600 visits made by the inspectorate, 2,390 were in connection with
with industrial injuries and compensation, 506 were night visits in connection with the employment of women and young persons and the remainder were routine inspections for the checking of safety, health and welfare provisions.
A total of 803 accidents (41 fatal), involving 821 persons, were reported during the year; 514 (23 fatal), involving 522 persons, were in factories and workshops. The remainder were in industries not within the scope of the Factories and Workshops Ordinance, 1937, but investigations were made for purposes of workmen's compensation.
In spite of the shortage of experienced
of experienced staff, the necessity of training junior staff and the constant increase in routine work following the influx of Chinese manufacturers,
23