INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23137, 8 September 1938, Page 17

INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

Sir, —In your leader of the 6th inst. you say that "in contrast with what should have been, private enterprise in New Zealand is in the doldrums. New ventures are not being started, old ones are marking time, etc." I have before mo a copy of the Department of Labour's report, dated June 1, 1938. I have selected the four years from 1934 to 193!?: — Year Factories Workers 1031-5 .. 15,000 93,502 1035-0 .. 10,434 10:2,275 1030-7 .. 17,120 111.Oil 1037-8 .. 17,009 123,551 I leave it to your readers. L. W. RiTcniE. [lt is noted in tbo annual report of the Labour Department that the figures showing factories and workers are those ascertained at registration-time — April in each year. Therefore, it is added, the figures shown for_ 1937-38 chiefly represent the numbers in April, 1937. That is to say, tho return actually is nearly 18 months old. Further, by'the Factories Amendment Act, 1936, the definition of a factory was widened to include all establishments where one person was employed, two having been the previous minimum. The 1937-38 figures will therefore include one-man factories which were not required to bo registered previous to April, 1937. Thus tho Labour Department's report is not reliable evidence of a real increase in factories and workers, and certainly does not represent the position to-day.—Ed. Herald.]