USELESS STATISTICS

Evening Star, Issue 25770, 17 April 1946, Page 9

USELESS STATISTICS

TIME LAG DESTROYS VALUE RETURNS OH EMPLOYMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, ApriHli. The views of the executive of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand regarding the Government's decision requiring employes to make half-yearly returns of employment are contained in a resolution forwarded to the Director of Employment, Mr H. L. Bockett. The following is a copy of the resolution: — " That this executive, while not denying the long-term value of statistics, considers it undesirable for the Associated Chambers of Commerce to give its approval to the proposed system of half-yearly returns of employment information, because—(a) Labour displacement, due to seasonal and other variations, is very heavy in< New Zealand, and consequently robs the statistics of value in determining stable labour conditions.(b) The inevitable time-lag in the completion of the statistics must qutdate the usefulness of the figures to industry and commerce. (c) Even if the time-lag could be reduced so as to give them practical action value, it has been made insufficiently clear how labour shortages and surpluses as between districts and industries could be corrected other than by official man-power direction and how such diverted labour would be housed. (d) We are concerned at the probable cost to both industry and the Government in the collection of these statistics, which cost, for the reasons given above, would not be justified. ■ (e) It is inore important for the Government clearly to enunciate a policy in regard to employment in private enterprise." A further view of the executive now that the Employment (Information) Regulations, 1946, have appeared, is that it notes with concern clause ti, which empowers Government officers to inspect and audit books, and require the production of anv records and information.