NEW RECORDS CREATED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22491, 27 August 1938, Page 15

NEW RECORDS CREATED

♦- —- THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

PROGRESS DURING 1936-37

The 1936-37 statistics for' the manufacturing industries record new high levels in every principal' feature. These figures are included in the annual report of the Department of Industries and Commerce. There were increases over the year in the number of establishments and number of workers engaged, in the wages bill, cost of materials, and other expenses, and in the value of irpductlon. In the group which the report describes as dealing with. "genuine manufacturing, industries," in the 1936-37 j-ear the number of persons engaged increased by 7760; salaries and wages paid increased by £2,344,611; materials used and value of output both advanced by 20 per cent., added value by 19 per cent., and the value of land, plant, and buildings by. 4 per cent. This group included such, industries as grain-milling, iron-smelting, motor-engineering, etc. The following table summarises the statistics under each principal head for the years ended March 31, 1936 and 1937:

67,438,879 69,597,265

The department's comment on the general position says, inter alia: "The betterment in industrial conditions generally during immediate past years has been referred to in the two previous annual reports of this department. This improvement has continued during the year covered by the latest figures, which reveal in a marked way the development and expansion which have taken place during the last year in the manufacturing 'industries of the Dominion. The 1936-37 statistics indicate that new record high levels are recorded in every principal feature of the statistics."

Year. 1935-36. 1936-37. u Number of establishments 5,536 5,728 Number of persons engaged 86,588 96,401 Salaries and wages paid 14,844,367 18,333,077 Cost of materials used or operated upon 59,940,393 70,668,075 Other expenses .. 9,606,824 10,751,343 Value of products 90,014,748 105,941,722 Added value 30,074,355 35,273,647 Value of— Land and buildings 23,985,510 : 24,445,338 Plant and machinery 43,453,369 45,151,927