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post of Lady Assistant would be better attached to the Labour Department with the holder of the post noting as connecting link between Labour and Social Welfare generally.
Here again I would submit that consideration should be given to Mrs. Marjorie Allinson, late of the Education Department, who possesses the necessary language qualification and of whose capabilities I formed a high opinion.
This recommendation may appear to clash with Miss Hinder's recommendation for a Senior Chinese female inspector but in point or fact it is intended to supplement it, and in order to preserve continuity, I will deal next with Misa Hinder's remarks about the Inspectorate leaving the question of a statistical officer and employment exchange officers till later.
In 1941 the inspectorate consisted of 1 Chief Inspector and 2 Inspectors (uropean) and six Chinese probationer inspectors (3 men and 3 women). There were then 1200 registered factories in long Long and the inspectorate was understaffed for the work it was required to do.
At the moment there are only two European inspectors left and, I believe, four of the Chinese probationers. It is true that there are only a few factories functioning in Hong Kong today but as soon as materials become available I anticipate a rapid and formidable increase in members. It is imperative that we should be in a position to meet this increase when it comes, both from the point of view of facilitating the rehabilitation of the Colony's industries and also to ensure that, as far as is practicable, this revival of industry will be along sound lines from the very beginning.
in the past the inspectorate was primarily concerned with (a) the enforcement of statutory provisions of Hygiene and accident prevention in factories and work- shape, (b) the working hours and conditions of women and young persons, (c) the prevention of child labour and (d) the investigation of industrial accidents in registered factories and workshops.
In the future the scope of all. these activities will be enormously widened by the adoption of the wide definition of "industrial undertakings” in our new factories legislation and over and above these duties the inspectorate will have to undertake work in connection with Workmen's Compensation, Industrial diseases and later, undoubtedly ages Inspection under the terms ofawards made by wages Councils, work which in England is done by a special inspectorate branch of the Ministry of Labour.
It is obvious, therefore, that there can be no question of reducing the inspectorate and that we should be prepared to expand it to keep pace with or, preferably, to be rather in advance of industrial expansion.
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