THE INDUSTRIAL CENSUS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 115, 13 May 1912, Page 7

THE INDUSTRIAL CENSUS.

BUTTER AND CHEESE FAC- , TORIES.

THE WAGES OF EMPLOYEES

The industrial census recently taken included tho butter and cheese factories of the Dominion. As a result, some important iacts as to the workers and their wages in relation to the output are available. Since the previous census was taken in iyO-5, the wages of employees have increased by £38,938, while at the same time improved "methods enabled the dairy factory workers (who are oiily~4S more 'now" than in 1905) to deal with the output, , valued at' £1,837,545 more. than that for the year 1905. The home 'separator • systerii is mostly found in Auckland, where there are 1763 out of a total of. 2418 recorded for the Dominion. There are 33S factories, an increase^of 74 in five years. Of these 6S are individually owned, 16 partnership or firm, 118 belong to registered companies, and 162 are cooperative concerns. There are 1,481 hands employed. The value of the output and the wages paid at the. factories last ye^r in the various \provinces was as follows: — Auckland province, output £960,----721; wagos £37,778. Taranaki, output £1,200,243; wages £44.898. 1 Hawke's Bay, output £151,687; wages £9993. Wellington, output £769,325; wages £37,331. Marlborough, output £29,439; wages £1877. Nelson, output £13,746; wages, £29-58. Westland, output £13,746; wages, £1263, . Canterbury, output , £221,641; wages £*/489. ' Otago, output £223,900; wages, £14i352. Southland, output £179,762; wages, £15,435.' The remarkable development of the industry is best shown by the amount of capital invested in dairy factories and machinery, which amounts to £953.922, hiving almost tripled in a decade. .Otherwise there is nothing particularly encouraging about the figures in the industrial census.