ALL-ROUND DROP

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 64, 17 March 1933, Page 8

ALL-ROUND DROP

FACTORY PRODUCTION

OFFICIAL STATISTICS

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

A decrease of 4.3 per cent, in the number of factories operated in New Zealand is disclosed by the annual statistical report on factory and building production for the year ended March 31 last, just released by the Census and Statistics Office. The report also shows a decrease of 11.8 per cent, in the number of persons engaged in factory production and a drop of 19 per cent, in the total wages and salaries paid. The regulations authorising the collection of statistics of factory production define a factory as an' establishment engaged in the manufacture, repair, or preparation of articles for wholesale or retail trade, or for export, which employs at least two hands or uses motive power. The industries expressly excluded from the term "factory" are bakeries, butcheries, "laundries, smithies, waterworks, shops engaged in the retail trade only, and farmers and others using motive power for their own individual and 'private use, while tanneries, bacon, butter, cheese, soap, and candle factories, brickyards, and lime works are expressly included, notwithstanding the fact that less than two persons may be engaged and motive power may not be used. « For many years figures for electric tramways have boon included in the statistics of factory. production", but commencing with the year under review this practice has been discontinued and the figures for past years have, been adjusted, where necessary, by the deduction of the totals for electric tramways. The summary of' operations for the years ended March 31, 1931 and 1932, shows that decreases have occurred in most phases of factory operation. The following table gives the comparative figures.for the two years:— Unit. 1930-31 1931-32 Establishments ... No. 5,194 4 969 Persons engaged >. No. 77,014 Cs[697 Salaries and wages £ 15,817,052 12 C 4'> 935 Motive power h.p. 52.T.G47 533,7* Cost of material .. £ 43,458,356 42,343,078 Value of products £ 79,215,416 67,813 394 Added value £ 30,757,060 25,470,316 Value of land, buildIngs; plant, and machinery .... £ GG,818,150 G3,907,(i1S Overtime hrs 1,328,707 1,110,258 Short time hrs 3,446,007. 4,908,083 FALL IN PRICE LEVEL. ,■ The number of persons engaged, the annual salaries and wages bill, and the "added value" show decreases of 11.8 per cent., 19.0 per cent., and 17.2 per cent, respectively in 1931-32. The horsepower of the engines and motors in use increased by 1.9 per cent. The value of land and buildings, plant, and machinery declined by 1.4 per cent. All the statistics expressed in' monetary terms of value are affected by changes' in price levels, and comparisons between such items as cost of materials, value of products and added value should.be made with this in mind. According to the wholesale price-index numbers for all commodities, the price level dropped from 1511 in 1930 to 1394 in 1931, or by 7.7 per cent., and this is responsible for part of the decline of 12.6 in the cost of materials and of 14.4 per cent, in the value of products. , The "added, value" or difference :between tho cost of materials and the value of products stood at £25,470,316 in 1931-32, as against• £30,757,060' in 1930.-31. , '

Tho number of establishments for \he year (4969) shows a decrease of 225 over that. of the previous year, and tho industries showing noteworthy decreases were motor engineering and coach buiMing, 49; sawmilling, 56; furniture, 27; brick and tile, 11; concreto block, etc., 19. Based on tho monthly average, major • decreases in tho number of persons in the different industries were as follows:—Sawmilling, 1799; motor engineering, etc., 1264; general engineering, 764; flax-milling, 704; furniture, 599; and printing and publishing, 582. The meat freezing industry recorded an increase.of 149. Tho classification of the number of persons engaged in industry ig as follows:— Proprietors'actively engaged .. 2177 Managers, overseers, etc. ...'. 4535 Accountants, clerks, etc 7337 Wage-earning employees 54,.648 WOMEN AND GIRLS. Tho report states that women and girls are not, employed to any great extent in New Zealand factories, though a steady increase has been recorded in recent years both in numbers and the proportion which females represent among the total employees. Women and girls are found chiefly in the following industries:'—Cloth-making, 5952; printing and publishing, 1432; biscuit and confectionery, 1343; woollenmilling, 1300. The percentages of women in industry during the last five years are- as'fol-lows:—l927-28, 20.0; 1928-29, • 20.4----1929-30, 20.9; 1930-31, 21.6; 1931-32' 23.0. .-. ■ -| The statistics relating! to salaries and wages include overtime and bonuses and cover "time" as well as "piece" or contract rates. The annual salaries and wages bill showed a decrease of £2,974,117, or }9.0 per cent., in 1931-32. The greatest decrease for any industry was recorded in the sawmilling industry, which declined by £548,400 in comparison with 1930-31. Tho principal decreases in the other industries were motor engineering and coachbuilding, £.307,160; printing, £231,950; engineering, etc., £212,136; furniture, £165,727; clothing, £131,377; brick and tile, £111,201. DISTRIBUTION OB WAGES. The distribution of tho total amount of salaries and wages recorded in 1931-32 as between the various classes of persons engaged is shown as follows: . £ Proprietors actively engaged 452,827 Managers, overseers, etc. .. 1,752,982 Accountants, clerks, etc.' .. 1,336,758 Wage-earning employees ... 9,100,368 Total £12,642,935 While in point of numbers wageearners represented 79.5 per cent, of the total, this class of workers received in 1931-32 72.0 per cent.' of the total amount distributed as salaries and wages. "Managers and overseers, who constituted 6.6 per cent, of the total persons' engaged, received 13.8 per cent. As between the sexes, female workers accounted for 11.5 per cent, of. the total wages, while: in point of numbers these workers represented 23.0 per cent, of the total.

_ Special returns as to employees and wages in a selected week are collected each year, and the period covered is the nearest' normal week to March 31. In 1931-32 the average -weekly earnings for males for the -week covered was recorded as £3 17s, a decrease of 9s 2d as compared with the preceding year's figure. The average for females dropped from £1 15a lid, to £1 14s 9d. These returns include the all-productive employees, irrespective of age or sex, and are therefore inclusive of many young male and female workers receiving low wages.