UNEMPLOYMENT IN NEW ZEALAND. SECOND SECTION OF REPORT OF COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON 17th OCTOBER, 1928, AND 26th FEBRUARY, 1929.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1930 Session I, H-11b

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1930. NEW ZEALAND

UNEMPLOYMENT IN NEW ZEALAND. SECOND SECTION OF REPORT OF COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON 17th OCTOBER, 1928, AND 26th FEBRUARY, 1929.

Laid on the Table by Leave of the House.

MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE. W. D. Hunt (Chairman), T. 0. Bishop, representing employers. James Roberts, Oscar Mcßrine, representing workers. Malcolm Fraser, 0.8. E., F.S.S. (Government Statistician). H. D. Thomson (Under-Secretary for Immigration).

REPORT. The Hon. the Minister of Labour, Wellington. Sir, — We now have the honour to present the second section of our report upon the problems arising out of unemployment. In our first report we dealt with the whole subject of unemployment in general terms, and also made certain definite recommendations which we were unanimously agreed upon. We held over other matters for further examination, and indicated our intention of studying these and reporting upon them as we found ourselves able to do so. In this second section of our report we deal with the following matters in the order named :—- (I) Recommendations for minimizing unemployment and for relief of the unemployed. (II) Possibilities for increased farm production. (III) Homes for workers adjacent to centres of employment. (IV) Review of the statistics as to unemployed since our first report. (V) Results of the individual investigation of a large sample of those on the unemployed registers for over twelve months. (VI) Cost of unemployment relief during the past three years ; and (VII) An appendix containing the statistical tables referred to in the report. (I) Recommendations for minimizing Unemployment and for Relief of the Unemployed. Of the several matters which we reserved for further investigation, the one of greatest urgency appeared to us to be the question of measures to be taken for the prevention or minimizing of unemployment and for the relief of the unemployed. We have therefore given this subject prolonged and careful consideration, and we now present our unanimous conclusions and recommendations thereon. For convenience we repeat here the classification of unemployment set out in our first report:— (1) Seasonal unemployment in the primary industries —butter and cheese making, shearing, meat-freezing, and harvesting. (2) Unemployment in other industries because of the seasonal nature of the primary industries— as, for instance, in connection with transport and shipment of butter and cheese, wool, and meat. (3) Unemployment arising out of the permanent replacement of manual labour by the use of improved methods and machinery —as, for instance, the use of tractors and other improved appliances for the loading and unloading of ships and cargo handling on wharves, the use of steam-shovels and other plant in roadmaking, and the use of more effective machines generally in connection with manufacturing. (4) Unemployment arising from the substitution of new materials —as, for instance, the use of oil in place of coal as ships' fuel, the use of electric power in place of steam, and the use of brick, concrete, and steel in place of timber in building. (5) Periodic general unemployment arising from general depression of trade, as occurred particularly in 1921-22, and again in 1926-27. (6) Unemployment arising from incapacity or from improper training.

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From this classification the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that the two main problems facing us are — (1) To provide work between seasons for those workers who are regularly engaged in seasonal occupations connected with the primary industries and also regularly unemployed for a portion of each year. (2) To provide work for those workers who being capable of working and willing to work are displaced from industry by causes which are a part of the progressive changes in manufacturing and industrial methods and in the demand for commodities. It must also be recognized that during periods when workers are unemployed by reason of these causes, and until employment can be provided for them, some provision must be made for their maintenance. Apart from seasonal unemployment, it is clear that what may be called our normal industrial system is not fully absorbing all available labour, and that this incapacity of industry to absorb labour has been more evident in the last five years than during any previous period. In this respect New Zealand is suffering in common with all other civilized countries. Moreover, as stated in our first report, we are convinced that unemployment arising from changes of methods and the increased use of labour-saving machinery is a continuing problem inevitably bound up with the development and progress of our civilization. We have carefully examined the remedial measures hitherto employed in New Zealand and also the various measures adopted in other countries. In this latter connection we desire here to express our appreciation of the valuable publications of the International Labour Office at Geneva, and the excellent manner in which detailed information upon the different unemployment schemes of Great Britain and other European countries is set out therein. We have found these publications of the greatest assistance in our investigations. The remedial measures hitherto adopted in New Zealand have been restricted to attempts by the Government and by local bodies to provide for the absorption of the surplus labour not required by industry, by an extension of public works and by the inauguration of special relief works. We recognize the difficulty of quickly devising a permanent and satisfactory means of dealing with the problems with which we have been confronted in the last few years, and also that probably no better means could have been so quickly brought into effect. We cannot, however, recommend this method of dealing with the problem permanently, or e'fren for anything more than brief periods of special difficulty. Our reasons for this conclusion may be briefly stated here and more fully developed as our report proceeds. In the first place the returns of expenditure upon relief works by the Government and local bodies (see special appendix section) show that the proportion of the total cost which has reached the workers in the form of wages has been approximately 70 per cent., the other 30 per cent, having been absorbed in the cost of materials, supervision, and overhead. This cannot be counted a satisfactory result if the object of the expenditure of any given sum of money is to relieve the greatest possible number of necessitous cases. Again, there does not appear to have been any proper correlation of effort between the State and the several local bodies ; between local bodies themselves ; or between the State, local bodies, and private employers ; and the lack of some central controlling authority has probably been one of the principal reasons of the uneconomic result just referred to. It is our considered opinion that the application of relief measures hitherto has been unscientific, uneconomic, and at best to be regarded as a temporary expedient only. A complete solution of the problem of unemployment would be the natural development of industries sufficient to provide work for all who are willing to work and capable of working. It may not be possible to quickly bring about this perfect solution, and in the meantime some measures of artificial aid must be provided. Nevertheless the ideal solution should never be lost sight of, and every measure taken should be designed to bring nearer its ultimate attainment. Unemployment Insurance. In England, in many European countries, and in Queensland, the method of dealing with unemployment has been a system of insurance under which the employer, the State, and the employee have jointly contributed to a fund which has been used mainly to provide sustenance payments for persons unemployed. We do not propose to discuss the merits of these systems as applied to the countries in which they are operating, but we have considered them from the point of view of their, applicability to New Zealand. In the first place, the principles of insurance do not seem to us to be capable of application to the case of unemployment, because the risk is an incalculable one. In the case of life, fire, and accident insurance, &c., experience has given a basis upon which the amount of premium required can be actuarially calculated, but in the case of unemployment no such experience is available. A premium fund which is quite adequate in one year may be entirely inadequate the next owing to some entirely unforeseen conditions. In those countries in which an insurance scheme has been inaugurated experience has shown this to be true. An insurance scheme should be complete in itself, and should be actuarially sound, but no such scheme has yet been devised for unemployment. Incidence of Cost. Under the insurance schemes of other countries, the whole cost of the relief of unemployment is borne by industry (employers and workers) and by the State. It is true that the State's contribution is found by the taxpayers, but outside those actually engaged in industry either as employers or employed no one makes any direct contribution to the cost, and therefore no one feels any personal responsibility.

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Any tax upon industry is likely to defeat its own ends by preventing the investment of capital in industry or by imposing additional costs that struggling industries cannot meet. Moreover, a tax upon industry based upon the number of employees, as is the case under the insurance system, is unfair in its incidence, since it imposes upon those who are providing the greatest volume of employment a charge greater than is imposed upon employers who may be much better able to pay but who are engaged in a business which employs comparatively small numbers of workers. If an insurance scheme similar to the English or to the Queensland scheme, under which agriculture and the professions are not called upon to contribute to the cost, were introduced into New Zealand, we feel that practically the whole cost would be borne by the secondary industries, and that this extra burden upon these industries might tend to increase rather than lessen the amount of unemployment. It appears to us that those who advocate for New Zealand the adoption of an insurance scheme similar to that of England have not fully recognized the great difference that exists between local and English conditions. In England secondary industries are highly developed; workers entering an industry tend to continue in the same industry during their working-life. Under such conditions insurance is possible ; but in New Zealand, where many secondary industries are just struggling to establish themselves, where workers, particularly unskilled workers, so freely move from one industry to another, and where the seasonal character of our main industry—farming—is so pronounced, the conditions do not lend themselves to such a system of insurance. Finally, no insurance scheme, so far as we have been able to learn, goes much further than to provide sustenance payments for the unemployed, whereas in our opinion it is essential that in any scheme for New Zealand the main function shall be to secure an opportunity of employment for all workers who are capable and willing to work. For these reasons we are unanimously of the opinion that the adoption of an unemployment insurance scheme on the lines of those operating in other countries would be a very grave mistake, and we have therefore directed our efforts to devising a plan suitable to New Zealand conditions as they exist. In framing the following recommendations we have endeavoured to provide machinery which will primarily assist to enlarge the field of economic employment in productive industry, and by which temporary relief may be provided for the unemployed until such time as that enlargement is secured. Recognizing that the essential functions of a satisfactory scheme for unemployment relief in New Zealand are — (1) The provision of employment between seasons for those workers who are regularly employed in seasonal work connected with the primary industries : (2) The provision of employment for those workers who are displaced by changes of industrial methods, increased use of labour-saving machinery, and changes in the demand for commodities : ■ (3) The provision of sustenance payments for unemployed workers willing to work and capable of working during periods when employment cannot be found for them. We reach the conclusion that two things are urgently required : first, the creation of a permanent organization to deal with problems of unemployment, and, second, a fund to be used for the purposes of such organization. Dealing first with the question of organization, the necessity for this has been made very clear to us during the course of our investigations. We have already referred to the fact that there does not appear to have been sufficient correlation of effort between the various existing organizations that were attempting to deal with the problem of unemployment. We are also of the opinion that the creation of employment by carrying out unnecessary public works is not an economic method of dealing with the unemployed, and it would be cheaper for the community in many cases to provide sustenance payments for unemployed workers until employment of an economic value can be found for them. We are convinced that unemployment should be regarded as a social problem to be dealt with permanently and continuously by a representative body of capable men, who would devote themselves primarily to the study of means by which the field of economic employment may be enlarged through the development of productive industries. This Board, to be called the New Zealand Employment Board, should be composed of representatives of organized employers, of organized workers, and of that section of the community which is not represented by either of these organizations. Our recommendations for the setting-up of this Board and its constitution are framed to give effect to this idea. The Board should function continuously. It should act in an advisory and consultative capacity to the Government on all questions affecting the welfare and development of industry. It should also act as a central authority exercising a measure of control over all works undertaken as relief works, whether by the State or by local bodies, in order that such work should be undertaken at the most suitable time and in the most suitable places to absorb the greatest number of workers otherwise unemployed. The whole of the work of the Board should be designed with the object of assisting the natural solution of the unemployment problem —viz., the expansion of productive industries and the development of new industries which will absorb labour. Relief work may be necessary at times, but relief work must be regarded only as a temporary provision to meet cases of urgency. Men should not at any time be sent by the Board to relief work if work can be found for them in productive industries. As a part of the Board's organization it will be necessary to establish a system of labour exchanges at which all unemployed should be required to register and through which the supply of available

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labour may be directed into those channels where it may be absorbed. The registration at the labour exchanges will assist the Board in carrying out its functions of bringing the demand for labour and the supply of labour together. We feel that in the work of such a Board there are great possibilities for reducing substantially the surplus of labour over and above that required by industry and the consequent minimizing of the necessity for relief work or for sustenance payments. A more detailed statement of the functions suggested for the Board is set out later in this report. Consideration of the question of the raising of the necessary fund for the purposes of the Board reveals clearly the social nature of the problem of unemployment. If it be treated as an industrial problem industry alone provides the necessary funds, while large sections of the community are exempt from any responsibility. In our opinion that is wrong in principle ; unemployment arises very largely from social conditions, and therefore every member of the community should be called upon to bear a share of the cost of remedial measures. It is also ineffective in practice because while sheltered industries are able to pass on any increased cost of production brought about by a levy upon wages to provide an unemployment relief fund, unsheltered industries cannot do so, and in them the imposition of a levy is likely to intensify rather than relieve the trouble. Society is like the human body, an organized whole, the members of which are interdependent on one another, and no individuals can suffer long without the whole being affected. The equity of treating the problem as a social one is obvious when we consider the fact that the widespread research continually being prosecuted is from time to time effecting new discoveries, advanced knowledge, improved mechanical and other processes, and the more efficient organization of industry, whereby, although some workers are temporarily displaced, the standard of comfort and the material welfare of society generally is improved. Thus for the general benefit and ultimate advantage of organized society some members thereof are the unfortunate victims of unemployment, and it is only right that every citizen should accept some share of responsibility for the cost of remedial measures. The interdependence of all industries and of all sections of society affords further proof of this argument. For example, the primary industries require large numbers of workers for a portion of each year, and a supply of workers must be available for those industries when required. Obviously such workers must have other means of livelihood between seasons. It may be argued that the primary industries or industries allied thereto, such as butter and cheese making and meat-freezing, should make provision for the support of their own workers during the periods of unemployment; but we take the broader view that since all members of society derive a benefit from the existence and proper development of the primary and allied industries all must accept a share of responsibility. We do not propose that the primary industries should be exempt: they must bear their share, but not more than their share. The professional and business men of New Zealand enjoys benefits as a result of the work of the primary producers, and they also must bear their share. Again, in the case of secondary industries, in order to reduce bis production costs and meet competition an employer may displace a proportion of his workers by installing machinery, and it might be argued that such an employer should bear the cost of making provision for those workers until they can be absorbed again ; but if the action of the employer results in a reduced production cost and a reduced selling-price, the community as a whole may benefit to a much greater total extent than the employer. It therefore must be recognized as just that every member of the community must bear a share of the cost of making provision for those who may be made to suffer as a result of industrial progress. It is our unanimous opinion that the problem is a social one, and in framing the recommendations which follow we have provided that the cost shall be spread as equitably as possible over the whole community. A proportion of the national revenues should be set aside annually as a reserve fund to provide for the purposes of the Employment Board. The national revenues for this purpose we regard as the sum total of the individual incomes of all the people ; and the reserve fund or employment fund should be contributed to by all the people in accordance with the proportion of income derived by each from the country's earnings. We realize, however, that a small tax on all incomes is not practicable, in that the difficulties of assessment and cost of collection would make it unprofitable. Under present law it is recognized that the direct taxation of incomes under £300 per annum is not economical, and hence those lower incomes are exempted altogether. The Committee, however, considers that it is in the interests of the country generally that all should contribute in making provision against unemployment. In order, therefore, to reach all incomes below the £300 exemption mark of the existing income-tax law we recommend the imposition of a fiat individual tax which would roughly approximate Id. in the pound, and that, utilizing the existing machinery of the Income-tax Department, an employment tax at the flat rate of Id. in the pound be levied on all incomes over £300 ; such tax, however, to be assessed on an individual basis, with dividends from public companies included, and that companies be assessed only in respect of their undistributed profits ; companies to be assessed as agents for absentee shareholders in respect of dividends paid to them ; absentees to be required to pay on their full assessable income without exemption as is the case under the present income-tax law. By this combination of an individual tax and a tax on incomes over £300 per annum we consider that all persons in the country would be contributing on an equal basis with one very important exception. The farmers, except Crown leaseholders and owners of farm freehold lands of an unimproved value of £14,000 or upwards, are not required to: make returns of income under the present law ; therefore, unless special provision is made for them, their only contribution would be the individual tax. The Committee consider that as under the present law the farmers are assessed for land-tax, it would be necessary to utilize existing machinery in their case and collect their contribution per medium of the

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land-tax. If the mortgage exemptions allowed under the land-tax law are taken as equivalent to the £300 exemption under income-tax it would be equitable in their ease to assess the employment-tax on the taxable balance of unimproved value of country lands ; farmers making returns of their income would, of course, be assessed on their income and not under land-tax. Having determined the general lines on which the Employment and Sustenance Fund should be established, we considered in more detail the incidence of the individual tax, and recommend that it be levied on the following basis : — The special individual employment-tax to be levied on all persons, with certain exceptions, eighteen years of age and over, at the following rates : — Males — Eighteen and nineteen years of age . . .. .. .. 18s. per annum. Twenty years of age and over . . .. . . .. .. 245. per annum. Females (to apply to all engaged in office, business, industry, professional work or domestic service) — Eighteen and nineteen years of age .. .. .. 12s. per annum. Twenty years of age and over .. .. .. .. 18s. per annum. Maoris engaged as employers or employees in industry to be included, but not otherwise. The individual employment-tax not to be levied in respect of the following persons : — (a) Mental-hospital patients, inmates of charitable institutions, and such others of a similar class as may be prescribed. (b) All married women and widows engaged solely in domestic duties in their own homes, as may be exempted by the Board. (c) Casual female workers, charwomen and the like, as may be prescribed by regulations or exempted by the Board. (d) Such other persons, old-age pensioners, permanently disabled, invalids, &c., as may be exempted by the Board. The special responsibility of local bodies (cities, boroughs, counties, and town districts) to unemployed workers within their bounds has been recognized, and the local bodies have carried out special relief works to help the situation locally at considerable cost to the local authority, as shown in the special report attached on relief-works expenditure. We are therefore of opinion that it would be only right, if local bodies are to be saved this expenditure in future, that they should be direct contributors to this fund which we are calling the Employment and Sustenance Fund. We recommend that these local bodies be required to contribute annually to the fund 1 per cent, of their ordinary revenue from general rates. The Committee estimates that the funds to be obtained from these sources would amount to £700,000 per annum, made up as follows : — (1) From a flat individual tax on all persons eighteen years of age and over at £ rates and with exceptions as set out above .. . . .. .. 505,000 (2) From a flat tax of Id. in the pound on all individual incomes (including dividends) in excess of £300 per annum .. .. .. .. 80,000 (3) From a flat tax of Id. in the pound on all undistributed profits of companies, and on the dividends of all absentee shareholders in registered companies .. 22,500 (4) From a flat tax of 3/16 d. in the pound on the taxable balance of unimproved value of country lands as assessed for land-tax .. .. .. 67,500 (5) From a contribution from counties, cities, boroughs, and town districts of 1 per cent, of their revenue from general rates .. .. .. 25,000 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £700,000 These sources of revenue for the fund to be supplemented by any receipts from— (1) Fines and penalties imposed for breaches of the Act or regulations. (2) Such other moneys or sources of revenue as may be made available to the Board. The experience of the last few years shows that this fund would be insufficient to provide for all requirements, and we therefore recommend that one-third of the total expenditure of the Employment Board in each year should be paid out of the Consolidated Fund, and two-thirds out of the Employment and Sustenance Fund raised as just described. In good years, and particularly in the early stages of the Board's work, the latter fund should be conserved and allowed to accumulate as far as possible against periodic waves of depression and unemployment. If one-third of the expenditure of the Board be contributed by the Consolidated Fund the result will be that while the revenue raised by the special taxation we recommend will be fairly uniform in each year, the demand upon the Consolidated Fund will vary with the extent of unemployment prevailing from year to year. Our proposals as to the raising of the necessary Employment Fund we believe are new. We are convinced they are more practical for New Zealand than would be the methods adopted in any other country, and that they are based upon social justice. In proposing the creation of an Employment Board and the establishment of an Employment and Sustenance Fund, we cannot emphasize too strongly the need for economy in administration, and to avoid all duplication or overlapping we contemplate the utilization so far as possible of existing organizations and departments. We consider that the Government and also the local

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bodies should make available, free of cost to the Board, their existing departments and administrative machinery for advice and assistance in carrying out its duties. We do not desire at this stage to hamper or restrict the Board in creating its own machinery by specifying too exhaustively the details of the organization and working which we contemplate as the most economical and efficient for the Board's requirements, but it would be well for the purposes of consideration and discussion to indicate generally the methods we contemplate should be followed. For the purpose of the individual tax we recommend that all persons be required to register and make their first payments of the tax within a specified time to be prescribed of the coming into operation of the Act, receiving therefor a certificate of registration : the certificates to be signed by the recipients for indentification purposes, and to be carried as evidence of compliance with the law. The machinery of the Post Office could be used for this purpose, and the system would be somewhat on the lines followed under the Military Begistration Act during the war, the registration of aliens, the motor registration and motor-drivers' licenses, &c. For new arrivals and visitors to New Zealand the organization of the Customs Department may be used to effect registration and collect the tax, the latter in whole or in portion being refunded to visitors leaving within, say, six months, as is done in the case of persons entering and leaving the United States of America. We have considered carefully the method of collecting the individual tax from wage-earners. Under the insurance schemes of other countries investigated by us the general practice is to deduct workers' contributions weekly. There are, however, objections to that method, the principal one being the amount of work involved in the case of employers, such as coal companies, who have a large pay-roll. After due consideration we are of the opinion that provision should be made for the payment of the tax annually, half-yearly, or quarterly, as the individual taxpayer may select, and in the case of workers in employment deductions shall be made by the employer once in each month from wages paid. It is probable that the majority of taxpayers would pay annually, but for those who might find it difficult to make an annual payment in one sum we recommend the alternatives mentioned. We consider the means of payment should be by a special adhesive stamp printed for and used for this purpose only, supplies of stamps to be on sale at all post-offices, and we contemplate that employers would be required to have stocks available for their employees. Penalties for evasion of registration and of the payment of the individual tax must be provided, and we consider these should be substantial. It should be made an offence for an employer to take into his service (or to continue in his employ) any worker unless such worker produces his registration certificate showing that he has complied with the Act and has paid all tax due. Where, however, an employer engages an employee who is in arrears with his tax-payment he should be permitted to deduct the arrears of tax from the first wages payment and stamp the employee's certificate accordingly. If the collection of the proposed employment-tax on individual incomes over £300 per annum, on the undistributed profits of companies, on the dividends of absentee shareholders, and the alternative land-tax on farmers be undertaken by the Land and Income Tax Department no new machinery will be required. The principal responsibility and duty of the Employment Board will be to so stimulate and encourage the development of industry and the unproductive resources of the country by all means in its power that all persons seeking employment will be absorbed in productive avenues in the ordinary course. As already indicated, we recommend granting the Board wide powers to arrange for the planning and co-ordination of necessary public works, both Government and local authority, to suit the labour position, so as to avoid as far as possible violent and frequent fluctuations in the labour demand for these works. A further sphere of action and responsibility of the Board will be the placing of unemployed persons in employment, and the bringing-together of the employers seeking labour and the unemployed seeking work. For this purpose it would be necessary that the present employment bureaux of the Labour Department should be transferred to the control of the Board and reorganized on an efficient basis as labour exchanges. All unemployed seeking the assistance of the Employment Board should be required to register for employment at the nearest labour exchange ; any person so registering for employment should be required to present his registration certificate showing that his individual tax has been paid, without which no benefit —work or sustenance—could be obtained. In dealing with the unemployed, the Board would operate through labour exchanges taken over and to be established and organized as it deems necessary. Where there is no labour exchange, the branch offices of the Labour Department or other existing Government or local-body office may be made use of. The Employment and Sustenance Fund we recommend should be under the sole control of the Enrployment Board, and we suggest should by special arrangement be invested in the Common Fund of the Public Trust Office, with favourable conditions as to withdrawal as required. We recommend that the whole efforts of the Employment Board should be directed and devoted to finding work for all unemployed seeking their assistance through registration at a labour exchange, but there will be many instances where for various reasons work cannot immediately be found, and in such cases it will be necessary for the Employment Board to pay " sustenance allowance " payments until such time as work can be found. We recommend that sustenance payments should not be made to persons with independent incomes, nor to any persons for the first week of unemployment, nor m any case for a period or periods exceeding thirteen weeks in any one year. We have given the matter as to what scale of sustenance payments should be allowed under the Act very careful consideration. In connection with the proposals we are recommending we are convinced of the very great importance of conserving the Employment and Sustenance Fund in the earlier years. The success of the work of the Employment Board depends on the fund at their disposal being adequate and

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sufficient to meet all claims. It must not be bankrupted before the administration and work of the Board has had sufficient time to feel its way and prove the efficacy of its dealing with the problem of unemployment. A perusal of the numerous reports on the working of the Unemployment Insurance Acts in the different countries where they have been enacted emphasizes the necessity for great care in the drafting of the measure, and in the administration by the Board to prevent exploitation and a misuse of the funds. While we wish to emphasize strongly the need for proper safeguarding and conservation of the fund, we also recognize the necessity for making reasonable provision for the payment of sustenance allowances to unemployed workers during periods in which the Board may find it impossible to secure them employment. We experienced considerable difficulty in deciding upon a scale of sustenance allowances, because we realize the impossibility of determining at all accurately the total sum which might be required in any year to provide for such allowances. In other words, we have been able to estimate the income of the Board but not its expenditure. However, we finally decided unanimously to recommend the following scale of payments to be included in the legislation which will be required to give effect to our proposals : — For youths under eighteen years of age who register for employment, such amount as the Board in its discretion may allow in the circumstances. Males twenty years and upwards .. .. .. .. 21s. per week. Females, twenty years and upwards .. .. .. 17s. 6d. per week. Males, eighteen to twenty years .. .. .. .. 15s. per week. Females, eighteen to twenty years .. .. .. .. 12s. 6d. per week. (a) Wife or (b) person occupying position of wife or substitute in household .. .. .. .. .. .. 17s. 6d. per week. Each child up to sixteen years of age not exceeding four in any one family .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4s. per week. It may happen that the demands for payments on this scale in a bad year may be so high as to seriously deplete the Board's resources, but we consider that so long as it be definitely provided that in the event of the fund raised by our taxation proposals being found to be insufficient for the purposes of the Board any nlargement of the fund shall be secured only by increasing the taxation levy proportionately upon each section of contributors, and in no other way ; this in itself will constitute a sufficient safeguard against careless administration or exploitation of the fund, because of the direct incentive to all taxpayers to use every endeavour to minimize unemployment and so save themselves from further taxation. We feel that this point cannot be emphasized too strongly. The Consolidated Fund must not be used to supplement the fund raised by special taxation to a greater extent than the one-third of the Board's total expenditure above referred to. One of the most important effects which must arise from our method of special taxation is that every taxpayer will feel that the problem of unemployment is one which affects him personally ; but this effect would be lost to a large extent if the Board could successfully appeal to the Government for moneys out of the Consolidated Fund. It is essential that the Board's fund should be raised in the way we have already proposed, and if the sum so raised is insufficient then each section of the taxpayers must be called upon to pay such proportionately higher taxation as may be required to make it sufficient. If this be not definitely provided then the whole principle underlying our recommendations will be violated. In order to conserve the fund and give the Board time for organizing the necessary administrative machinery, we recommend that a period of six months should elapse between the coming into operation of the Act and the granting of any benefits from the fund ; no worker to be entitled to make any claim on the Board or fund until six months after his registration under the Act and his first payment of the individual tax. We further recommend that while the Board should assist by every means in its power to find employment for all persons registering at the labour exchanges for employment, it should not make sustenance payments to persons with independent means. We also recommend that the Board should pay particular attention to those who may be so unfortunate as to find themselves in the unemployed ranks for any considerable length of time. In what might be termed the chronic cases, we consider that much useful work might be done by the Board if they organized a system of' local committees on a voluntary basis to assist the Board in individual investigation of the more chronic cases with a view to assisting the deserving to establish themselves in some suitable productive avenue whereby they would be permanently removed from the ranks of the unemployed. The Board should be empowered to make advances from the fund for this purpose should they deem it desirable to do so, and upon such terms as they may decide. Summary of Recommendations. New Zealand Employment Board. 1. A permanent Board to be created to deal with unemployment. 2. The Board to consist of six members, appointed by the Governor-General: two members representing employers to be selected from nominations received from employers' organizations ; two members representing the workers to be selected from nominations made by workers' organizations; and two members selected by the Government, one of whom is to represent the taxpayers not in either employers' or workers' organizations, and the other to be the Chairman of the Board,

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3. The Board to appoint a Secretary or Employment Commissioner, to be the chief executive officer of the Board, in control of the staff and organization established and required by the Board in carrying out its functions. 4. The remuneration paid to members of the Board to be £2 2s. per meeting and for each day on which the Board meets, and such out-of-pocket expenses as may be incurred by them in carrying out their duties as members of the Board. The Secretary and other employees of the Board to be paid such salaries as may be determined. Functions of Board. 5. The Board to obtain information on all matters connected with industrial relations with a view to establishing a system by which employment can be organized. 6. The Board to obtain all information as to the conditions of the labour market, and to be entitled to obtain from all Government Departments and local authorities any statistics or other information the Board may require. 7. The Board to have power to make recommendations to the Government as to the desirability of obtaining and publishing statistics of unemployment or employment, and of other general economic factors not now available, which it may consider helpful in dealing with the unemployment situation. 8. The Board to inquire into the causes and incidence of unemployment in New Zealand, or in any district in New Zealand, and, after such inquiry, consider effective measures to be taken for temporarily or permanently reducing or eliminating unemployment in New Zealand or within any particular district. 9. The Board to be empowered to require the co-operation and arrange for the assistance of Government Departments or local authorities in placing unemployed workers, and when discussing proposals for work to be authorized to co-opt for a Board meeting authorized officers from Government Departments or local authorities specially concerned in the particular proposals. 10. The Board to have the right and be required to use existing Government or local-body officers or organizations (Public Works Department, Post and Telegraph Department, Police Department, Labour Department, Statistical Office, &c., County and Borough Engineers, &c.), where these can sufficiently serve the Board's purposes. 11. The Board to have the power to organize local committees of voluntary helpers to assist in dealing with local unemployed. 12. The Board to have power to require employers to report, in any special cases being investigated, as to the ability, competence, and satisfactoriness of an employee who has been discharged. 13. The Board to have power to investigate individual cases of chronic unemployment in order to ascertain and understand the particular circumstances with a view to taking special steps to have the unfortunate deserving placed in productive avenues and removed permanently out of the unemployed ranks, and also determine what special action should be taken in reference to such persons as may be regarded as " unemployable." 14. To control the Employment and Sustenance Fund ; to arrange for its investment with the Public Trustee on best terms and at highest rates of interest available ; and to arrange to build up reserves in the fund against periodic waves of unemployment. 15. The Board to have the power to make advances for the purpose of establishing, where that may be considered desirable, members of the chronic unemployed in productive avenues on their own account, with the assistance, advice, and supervision of the local committee ; also to assist certain classes of unemployed to establish themselves in business, or as poultry-farmers, bee-keepers, &c., as was done in the case of returned soldiers. 16. The Board to have power to make loans to or otherwise assist farmers or others in bringing into production deteriorated (fern, scrub, blackberry, gorse, &c.) or unimproved land with unemployed labour, and to be entitled to obtain advice and assistance from the Lands Department in considering any application for such assistance. 17. The Board to have power to arrange with the Government and local authorities for the investigation and scheduling of works of a public or developmental character to be planned for carrying out in times of depression and unemployment, and to arrange for advancing or retarding contemplated works to suit employment conditions and spread or even out the demand for labour. 18. The Board to be kept informed as to proposed or contemplated public works (State or local body) so as to arrange for these being carried out, if possible, at times suitable to the state of the labour market and so keep workers in employment. 19. The Board to have power to arrange with local bodies for the carrying-out of special relief works when necessary, and, in cases in which the cost of such works is increased through the instructions of the Board, the Board to be empowered to reimburse the local body to the extent of the extra cost. 20. The Board to have power to appoint any of its members or any other person to hold an inquiry into any question or matter relating to unemployment, and to delegate to such member or person such of its power as it may determine. 21. The Board to prescribe penalties, including fines or deprivation of benefits for breaches of the Act, as to registration, evasion of tax-payments, misleading or incorrect statements, refusal to comply with instructions or requests of the Board, &c., and also to institute means whereby such breaches may be detected. 22. The Board to have power to make rules and regulations for giving effect to its powers and duties under the Act. 23. The Board to be the sole judge in all matters arising out of taxation levies for the fund or appeals for exemptions. 24. The Bojird to have sole power to decide as to the rights of any claimant for benefits out of the Board's funds.

9

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Labour Exchanges. 25. The chief function of the Board being to keep workers in employment, it must have power to establish labour exchanges, these to be staffed and organized, as and where the Board determines, to take over the duties at present carried out by the employment bureaux of the Labour Department, and to arrange machinery for bringing unemployed workers into touch with employers who may require labour. 26. Labour exchanges, subject to the control of the Board, to be required to — (a) Forward to the Board weekly reports as to the state of unemployment in their own districts : (b) Make such inquiries as to the conditions of the labour market in either public or private employment as the Board may from time to time direct: (c) Prepare such registers of employers, whether public bodies, private employers or Government Departments, as the Board shall direct, and keep in constant communication with such employers with a view to obtaining employment for unemployed workers : (d) To keep registers of unemployed workers, with such particulars regarding each worker as the Board shall direct: (e) Act as agents of the Board in paying out allowances, and in all other matters as the Board shall determine. 27. The Board to have complete control of the labour exchanges and to have power to appoint a supervisor and such other staff for each exchange as the Board shall decide to be necessary. The salaries of staff members to be fixed by the Board. 28. The exchanges should be run in such a way as to encourage employers to make the fullest use of them when requiring labour. Employment and Sustenance Fund. 29. To provide the Board with means for dealing with unemployment from time to time as it arises among the workers in the Dominion, a fund to be established to be called " The Employment and Sustenance Fund," under the sole control of the Board. 30. The fund to be established with moneys obtained— (1) By the levy of a special individual employment-tax on all persons, with certain exceptions, eighteen years of age and over, at the following rates — Males — Eighteen and nineteen years of age .. .. .. 18s. per annum. Twenty years and over .. .. .. .. 245. per annum. Females (to apply to all engaged in office, business, industry, professional work, or domestic service) — Eighteen and nineteen years of age .. .. .. 12s. per annum. Twenty years and over .. .. .. .. 18s. per annum. Maoris engaged as employers or employees in industry to be included, but not otherwise. The following classes of persons to be exempted from payment of the employ-ment-tax : — (а) Mental-hospital patients, inmates of charitable institutions, and such others of a similar class as may be prescribed. (б) All married women and widows engaged solely in domestic duties in their own homes. (c) Casual female workers, charwomen, and the like, as may be prescribed by regulations. (d) Such other persons, old-age pensioners, permanently disabled, invalids, &c., as may be prescribed by regulations. (2) From a flat tax of Id. in the pound on all individual incomes (including dividends) in excess of £300 per annum. (3) From a flat tax of Id. in the pound on all undistributed profits of companies, and on the dividends of all absentee shareholders in registered companies. (4) From a flat tax of 3/16 d. in the pound on the taxable balance of unimproved value of country lands as assessed for land-tax. (5) By a subsidy from local authorities (counties, cities, boroughs, and town districts) of 1 per cent, of the revenue derived from general rates. (6) By annual subsidy from the Consolidated Fund of one-third of the Board's total annual expenditure. (7) By receipts from fines and penalties imposed for breaches of the Act or regulations governing the Board and the fund. (8) From such other moneys or sources of revenue as may be made available to the Board. Application of the Proposed Legislation. 31. The Act to apply to all persons of the ages and as specified in No. 30, New Zealand born, and others who are residents of the Dominion, and to come into operation for purposes of registration and payment of the tax from a date to be fixed. All persons reaching the prescribed ages or completing six months' residence, after the coming into operation of the Act, to be required to register and commence payment of the employment-tax within fourteen days thereof,

2—H. 11b.

H— 118.

10

32. All persons covered by the Act to be required to register, and make the first payment, at the post-office or labour exchange nearest their domicile, and receive certificate (in prescribed form) bearing means of identification such as signature of taxpayer, &c., which the taxpayer may be called upon at any time to produce as evidence of having complied with requirements of the Act. 33. Employment-tax may be paid annually, half-yearly, or quarterly, at the option of .the taxpayer, but in the case of workers in employment shall be deducted by the employer once in each month from wages paid. The registration certificate to bear evidence, by means of stamps affixed thereto or otherwise, as may be prescribed, of the payments made by the taxpayer. 34. All persons liable to pay into the fund to be responsible for seeing that their employmenttax is paid and their registration certificates duly stamped to date. 35. It shall be an offence for an employer to take into his service any worker (or to continue a worker in his employ) unless such worker producers his registration certificate showing that all employment-tax payable by him to the fund has been paid ; provided that an employer may take into his employ a worker whose tax is in arrears, but must deduct the arrears due from first wagespayment made. Unemployment Relief. 36. The fund to be used by the Board chiefly in providing or finding work or employment for the unemployed, and failing that in providing sustenance payments as prescribed. 37. All unemployed workers seeking the assistance of the Employment Board to be required to register for employment at the nearest labour exchange, or, in localities where a labour exchange is not available, at the nearest post-office, or as otherwise prescribed by regulation ; no worker to receive any benefits whatever unless and until he so registers. 38. No benefit payment to be made from the fund to a worker until six months has elapsed from the date of the worker's registration and first payment of employment-tax. No worker to be granted benefit from the fund, work, or sustenance payment unless his registration certificate is in order and his employment-tax payments are up to date and have been properly made. 39. Except in the case of relief work, or at the special request of the applicant, the labour exchange, as far as possible, to place applicants for employment in their own trade or profession, and if possible in the vicinity of their place of residence. 40. An unemployed worker to be required to accept any suitable employment offered by the labour exchange. 41. Any worker offered what the Board deems to be suitable work and refusing to accept same may be refused or deprived of benefit for such time as the Board determines. 42. On any work provided by the Board or public authority not less than minimum award rates of wages to be paid to all competent workers who are employed on those works. The expenses of travelling to and from such works to be defrayed by the Board at its discretion. 43. The Board to be authorized to arrange for unemployed workers being employed on relief works, and such workers to have alternate periods of relief works and on sustenance benefit to encourage and enable them to seek employment elsewhere. 44. The Board to have power to arrange for the training of workers to enable them to take and competently perform any work in certain industries including relief work, and for this purpose to be empowered to set aside certain works as training-schools for unskilled or incompetent workers. The rates of pay for such workers to be decided by the Employment Board ; provided that a worker employed on such training shall be paid not less than sustenance rates of benefit provided by the Board. 45. The rights of an unemployed person to benefits under the Act not to be affected by the refusal to accept work offered by an employer or the owner of an undertaking in whose undertaking a strike or lockout is in progress. 46. During the period of unemployment an unemployed worker seeking the assistance of the Board shall report as may be required by the Board to the labour exchange, or, if he lives outside the district of the exchange, as may be prescribed by regulations. In the foregoing recommendations there are three outstanding features : First, the treatment of unemployment as a social problem, and the consequent provisions designed to spread the responsibility for and also the cost of measures taken towards a solution of this problem as widely as possible over the whole community ; second, the establishment of a permanent non-governmental Board of citizens as an organization with authority to deal with all matters pertaining to the relief of the unemployed and the provision of special works for their absorption (this organization to act also as an advisorv body to the Government on industrial and economic questions which require from time to time to be dealt with by legislation and which inevitably affect the development of industries) ; and, third, the establishment of a fund for the purposes of the Employment Board to which, with very few exceptions, every citizen of the country will contribute. Our very definite and unanimous conclusions are—first, the problem of unemployment for its solution requires an organization of a nature different from anything which has previously been provided —in other words, the Board which we recommend ; second, the organization cannot work without funds ; third, the responsibility for providing the funds must be as widely spread as can possibly be made effective. We have not attempted to define within too narrow limits the functions which the new organization would perform. We have indicated them broadly and generally, but much must be left to the Board to decide as experience is gained. Much will depend upon the members of the Board, but we do not doubt that public-spirited men of sufficient experience, knowledge, and ability will offer themselves for this work.

11

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Finally, we might emphasize again the idea which is permeating the whole of this report —viz., that the general welfare of our community depends upon the greatest possible number of our people being engaged in useful and productive work. The moving volume of unemployment may be regarded as a barometer indicating the increase or decrease of the general prosperity. It is therefore everybody's duty to assist in overcoming the evil of unemployment. It cannot be overcome suddenly or by any miraculous method, but we are convinced it can be overcome if every one will take his share of responsibility and put forward a consistent effort to achieve a solution of the problem. It is every one's duty to make this effort, and it is also to every one's real interest. (II) The Possibilities for Increased Farm Production. The Committee have already stressed the relative importance of the farming industry to New Zealand. There is probably no country in the world more dependent on farming than this Dominion. It is true that in countries such as Australia and the Argentine farming products form almost as large a proportion of the exports as in New Zealand ; but in these countries their larger population, and consequently larger home market, make possible the economic production for home consumption of many lines of manufactured goods that cannot now be undertaken in the comparatively small population of New Zealand, except at undue cost. The general experience in other countries that are substantial exporters of manufactured goods has been that they first manufactured to satisfy the needs of their home market, and then, when experience showed the lines with regard to which they were relatively well placed as to production costs, they produced a surplus of those lines for export. As the population of New Zealand increases, so will its manufacturing possibilities increase. The greater the population the greater will be the proportion of its requirements in manufactured goods that it will be economically possible to manufacture within its boundaries. The time will, no doubt, come when in certain lines of manufactured goods, the production of which New Zealand conditions particularly suit, an export trade will be possible. At the present time farming is the foundation upon which the economic structure of New Zealand is erected. Our great need at present is to increase our farm production upon an export basis. If this can be done it will mean more people on our farms, and more people employed in preparing these additional farm-products for the market and transporting them to ships. The additional people thus employed will find employment for the usual proportion engaged in caring for their numerous wants. All this additional population would widen our home market for manufactured goods, and thus increase the possibilities for the economic production of manufactured goods for home consumption and bring nearer the time when we can manufacture some lines for export. When this stage is reached we will begin laying foundational industries other than farming. The farm-products that we now produce largely in excess of home-consumptiom requirements, and which form almost the whole of our exports, are few. They are — (а) The products of the sheep (wool, lamb, mutton, pelts, skins, casings, tallow, &c.). (б) Dairy-produce (butter and cheese chiefly, with some dried milk, condensed milk, casein, &c.). (c) Fruit. (This comes a long way behind our sheep and dairy products, but it shows signs of growth and may yet become a large industry.) Our sheep and dairy production is growing rapidly. The rapid increase in the use of fertilizers in recent years has had a good deal to do with this. During the last five years our dairy-farmers, in addition to taking care of our increased home consumption, have increased our surplus for export from 60,023 tons butter and 79,451 tons cheese in the 1923-24 season to 80,278 tons butter and 85,458 tons cheese in the season just closed (1928-29). The increases in the latter year amounted to 20,225 tons butter and 6,007 tons cheese, which on a butterfat basis is equivalent to an increase of 23-2 per cent. During the same period our sheep-farmers have provided for the increased home consumption and increased our exports from 6,708,907 to 7,952,530 carcasses of mutton and lamb, the increase being 1,243,623 carcasses, or 18-54 per cent. Besides doing this, the capital stock of sheep in the country during the same period has increased from 23,775,776 to 29,011,447, the total increase being 5,235,671, or 22-02 per cent. It is quite evident that when the Dominion's sheep capital stock stops increasing there will be a very large increase in the export of mutton and lamb. The use of fertilizers and improved farming methods will further largely increase the production of sheep and dairy products. This will be done partly by increasing production from lands now occupied, and partly by bringing in lands which under older farming methods could not be occupied profitably, but which will respond to modern treatment. The Committee have looked over other lines of farm production to see if there are not some in addition to those already mentioned in which a considerable export trade could be developed. If other lines can be substantially developed without interfering with existing production, it would be possible not only to increase the volume of farm-products available for export, but, by increasing the variety of products exported, make the Dominion less dependent upon the market fluctuations of the small number of lines we now send overseas. The Committee's search for other lines of farm production that could be profitably developed has led it to examine, amongst other things, pigs and poultry. The Committee have come to the conclusion that these two lines can be put on to a profitable export basis under New Zealand conditions. The Committee's inquiry naturally falls into two lines : First, is there an export market for pig and poultry products if we produce them in excess of our home consumption ; and, secondly, if there is a market, can we produce and export to that market profitably ? First as to the market: Our only big export line that has a world market is wool. In dairyproduce, meat, and fruit we are confined largely to Great Britain because other markets of consequence

H.—lis

12

are largely closed to us by tariffs. Without the steady market that we have in Great Britain our dairyproduce, meat, and fruit production on present lines would not be possible. Our pig and poultry products would have to seek the same market as our dairy-produce, meat, and fruit—that is, Great Britain. What are the possibilities there ? In 1927 the United Kingdom imported pig-products to the value of £56,351,758. These pig products consisted of — £ Bacon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 38,679,205 Hams .. .. .. .. .. :. .. 4,653,877 Pork.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,095,477 Lard.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,585,423 Hearts, kidneys, livers, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 337,776 £56,351,758 The supplying countries for pig-products were— £ Denmark .. .. 23,923,094 Belgium .. .. 183,479 United States of America 13,765,133 Germany .. .. 122,778 Netherlands .. .. 5,862,166 France .. .. 54,961 Canada .. .. 3,884,598 Brazil .. .. 4,387 Irish Free State .. 3,696,598 China .. .. 2,370 Sweden .. .. 2,049,585 South Africa .. 2,234 Latvia .. .. 644,372 Australia .. .. 1,092 Poland .. .. 568,204 Uruguay .. .. 566 Argentine .. .. 530,697 Other foreign countries 73,056 Russia .. .. 430,880 Other British countries 22,418 New Zealand .. .. 333,381 — Estonia .. .. 195,709 £56,351,758 In the poultry section the imports into the United Kingdom in 1927 were — £ Eggs.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19,252,574 Poultry .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,979,584 £22,232,158 The eggs consisted of— £ Eggs in shell .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15,914,257 Eggs not in shell, liquid or frozen .. .. .. .. 2,796,326 Eggs not in shell, dried, except albumen .. .. .. .. 283,725 Eggs not in shell, albumen .. .. .. .. .. 258,266 £19,252,574 The poultry consisted of— £ Poultry, alive .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 222,926 Poultry, dead .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,756,658 £2,979,584 The supplying countries for poultry-products were— £ Denmark .. .. 4,592,587 Germany .. .. 152,941 Irish Free State .. .. 4,016,615 Australia .. .. 107,049 China .. .. .. 3,671,229 Argentine .. .. 93,586 Netherlands .. .. 1,815,243 Canada .. .. 41,929 Belgium .. .. 1,677,134 Switzerland .. .. 38,573 Poland.. .. .. 1,547,834 Estonia .. .. 29,859 Russia .. .. .. 890,597 Serb Croat State .. 14,273 France .. .. .. 802,432 Norway .. .. 7,748 Latvia .. .. .. 664,754 Lithuania .. .. 6,192 Sweden .. .. 393,980 Roumania .. .. 4,788 South Africa .. .. 331,796 Morocco .. .. 339 United States of America .. 307,622 Other foreign countries .. 64,721 Egypt .. .. .. 290,609 Other British countries .. 10,687 Austria .. .. 270,765 Italy .. .. .. 202,121 £22,232,158 Hungary .. .. 184,155 ===» To give an idea of the relative importance of the markets in the United Kingdom for pig and poultry products, the following figures showing the imports of beef, mutton, and lamb are illustrative Pig-products .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 56,351,758 Poultry-products .. .. .. .. .. .. 22,232,158 Beef .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34,654,407 Mutton .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,221,846 Lamb .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11,767,881 It will be seen that the imports of pig-products exceed beef, mutton, and lamb combined, and the imports of poultry-products exceed mutton and lamb.

13

H.—llß

The foregoing figures show that there is a market in the United Kingdom for pig and poultry products. What prospects has New Zealand of entering it ? The United Kingdom's largest supplying country for both pig and poultry products is Denmark, with the United States second in pig-products. The United States can be ruled out as a lasting competitor, as she is fast coming to the point when she will require all her own meats for her own fastincreasing population. Twenty-five years ago the United States exported far more beef to the United Kingdom than all other countries combined. To-day she does not export any beef. Denmark is by far the largest supplier. Can New Zealand compete with that country ? Denmark is also New Zealand's big competitor in the butter-market. When New Zealand entered the butter trade seriously Denmark was already established as the chief supplier to Great Britain and had a firm hold of the market. The following figures show the quantity of butter imported by the United Kingdom from Denmark and New Zealand respectively at five-yearly intervals for the last twentyfour years:—

In addition, New Zealand exported to Canada 12,251 tons of butter in the year ending 30th June, 1929. In the previous years in the table she did not export any butter to Canada. During the year ending 30th June, 1919, Denmark, as in the previous war years, sent nearly all her butter to Germany, and this accounts for her small showing in that year. These figures show how steadily New Zealand has forged ahead, and she has done this notwithstanding her distance from her market and Denmark's proximity thereto. New Zealand has a great advantage over Denmark, as far as butter-production is concerned, in her climate. In New Zealand cows are grazed outside the year round ; in Denmark they must be housed and their food brought to them for six months of the year. In cheese New Zealand is now the largest supplier to the United Kingdom. Her great competitor is Canada, which country, like Denmark, has a long winter to contend with, during which cows have to be housed and their food brought to them. The following table of imports of cheese into the United Kingdom from Canada and New Zealand respectively shows how the two countries have fared in the contest: —

New Zealand's climate gives her just as great an advantage over Denmark for pig and poultry raising as it does for dairying. The by-products of the dairy industry—skim-milk, buttermilk, and whey —form part of the rations required for the pig and poultry industry. New Zealand does not utilize the by-products of its dairy industry to full advantage ; Denmark does. Every 100 lb. of average cow's milk contains about 13 lb. of dry matter available as food. Less than 30 per cent, of this dry matter is utilized in the making of butter, and 60 per cent, in the making of cheese. The balance is left in the skim-milk, buttermilk, and whey, and is a by-product of the industry available for stock-food. To raise pigs and poultry on an export basis it is necessary to compete with world costs. To do this successfully the requirements are a suitable climate, the best of grazing, dairy by-products and grain at world prices. New Zealand has a better and a more suitable climate than Denmark, better grazing the year round, and the same dairy by-products as Denmark. New Zealand cannot produce grain at world's prices, and, as Denmark is similarly placed, she has to import the grain she requires for stock-foods, which could be done by New Zealand just as cheaply. Seeing that Denmark is New Zealand's main competitor in butter, and will be New Zealand's main competitor in the pig and poultry industries if New Zealand enters these upon an export basis, it is worth taking stock of Danish doings and conditions and comparing them with those that obtain in New Zealand.

Year ending 30th June, Denmark. New Zealand. New Z<^^^J^ O0ntage Tons. Tons. 1905 .. .. .. 82,000 16,000 19-51 1909 .. .. .. 94,000 12,000 12-77 1914 .. .. .. 88,935 16,609 18-68 1919.. .. .. 2,856 18,179 636-52 1924.. .. .. 91,056 51,847 56-94 1929.. .. .. 105,162 64,876 ! 61-69

j, r New Zealand as Year ended 30th June, From Canada. M r/ , , Percentage of ew Zealand. Canada. Tons. Tons 1905 .. .. 92,000 4,000 4-36 1909 .. .. 77,000 15,000 19-48 1914 .. .. 60,673 33,856 55-80 1919 .. .. 48,513 38,347 79-04 1924 .. .. 47,881 71,615 ' 149-57 1929 .. .. 43,863 82,564 188-23

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14

Denmark has an area of 16,750 square miles, which is less than one-sixth of the area of New Zealand. Upon this area she supports a population of three and a half millions, chiefly on a farming basis. Four-fifths of her exports consist of farm produce. Denmark's chief exports in 1927 were — £ Butter, cheese, milk, and cream .. .. .. 25,800,000 Meats (almost entirely pork and bacon, but including a very small quantity of beef, mutton, and lamb) .. .. .. .. 24,373,000 Living animals, chiefly cattle .. .. .. .. .. 5,101,000 Eggs.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,825,000 For the sake of comparison, New Zealand's exports of similar lines are given for the same year:— £ Dairy-produce .. .. .. .. .. .. 16,985,508 Meats (chiefly lamb and mutton) .. .. .. .. 9,341,378 Living animals .. .. .. .. .. .. 123,564 Eggs and poultry .. .. . . .. .. . . 1,104 Danish farmers lead the farmers of any other country in knowledge of stock-feeding. From their small area they exported the great quantities of animal-products mentioned, in addition to supplying the wants of a population of three and a half millions. They do this (a) by producing the bulky foods required by their stock on their farms ; (b) by utilizing their dairy by-products to the full; (c) by importing grains, which they use to supplement and balance the rations produced on their own farms. Grain and grain-products form by far the largest import line in Denmark. In 1927 she imported these goods to the value of £20,446,000, and of this total approximately £17,000,000 was food for stock and the balance for human consumption. All grains and fodders enter Denmark duty-free. Without these imported grains for stock, Denmark's bacon, pork, live-stock, and egg exports would not be possible, and her dairy-produce exports would be largely reduced. New Zealand has a tariff on stock-foods as follows :—

The Committee wish to make it quite clear that in this report they do not wish to discuss in any way the duties in New Zealand on any grains or grain-products used for human consumption ; rather it is merely the duties on grains and grain-products used for stock-foods they wish to discuss. For the efficient conduct of the pig and poultry industries, grain and grain-products must be used to balance and supplement the rations produced on the farms. If the pig and poultry industries are to be placed on to an export basis, grain and grain-products in large quantities must be available to the industry at world's parity prices. Grain loaded with heavy duties cannot be used to produce animal products that have to be sold in free markets in competition with the rest of the world. New Zealand, like Denmark, is not a grain-growing country. New Zealand grain-growers have stated again and again that they cannot grow grains without protection, and say openly they would have to give up growing it if the duties were removed. It is admitted by New Zealand grain-growers, therefore, that they cannot supply other farmers wanting stock-foods at world's parity prices. With the exception of the small quantity of oats or other grain that many New Zealand farmers now grow to feed their own working horses, there is little grain grown in New Zealand to-day for stock-food. The chief grains grown in the Dominion are wheat, oats, and barley for human consumption. If the duties on these remained, these grains would still be grown. The removal of the duties on stockfoods would hurt very few, and would start an export industry in pig and poultry products that might easily grow to be one of the largest industries in the Dominion.

" i i i British Preferential , Australian Tariff Tariff. i General laritt. Agreement. I I I Animal-foods of all kinds (includes blood-flour, coconut- 20% ! 40% 20% meal, copra-cake, linseed-meal, crushed linseed) Grain and pulse (unground and unmanufactured) — (а) Maize .. .. .. .. .. 2s. cental 2s. 2s. (б) Wheat .. .. .. .. .. Where current domestic value at port of export is 5s. 6d. per bushel, duty shall be Is. 3d. per bushel. (а) Where current domestic value exceeds 5s. 6d., duty is decreased by |d. for every M. of such excess. (б) Where current domestic value is less than 5s. 6d., duty is increased by |d. for every £d. by which such current domestic value is less than 5s. 6d. (c) N.e.i. .. .. .. .. .. 2s. 2s. Is. 6d. Barley .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2s. cental. Grain and pulse (ground and manufactured) — (a) Barley, flour prepared .. .. .. 2s. 6d. cental 2s. 6d. 2s. 6d. (c) Maize, flaked .. .. . . .. 5s. 7s. 5s. (d) Maize, ground or crushed .. .. .. Free Id. lb. Free (/) Oats or oats mixed with other grains .. .. |-d. lb. Jd. lb. Jd. lb. (h) Peas, split .. .. .. .. .. |d. lb. fd. lb. £d. Ib. (j) N.e.i. .. .. ■ • •. • ■ 2s. 6d. cental 2s. 6d. 2s. 6d. Prohibited or Restricted Imports.—Oats, barley, maize (including maize ground or crushed, but not otherwise manufactured), hay, straw, and chaff from Australia, except with consent of Minister of Agriculture.

15

H.—llB

Pig and poultry production on a large scale means smaller farms ; full utilization of dairy by-pro-ducts ; more work on farms ; more people on the land ; more work for railways, freezing-works, waterfronts, and skips ; more work for secondary industries —in fact, more work and more prosperity for every one. The capital required to start the industry and develop it is comparatively very small. The rapid breeding capabilities of both poultry and pigs mean low costs of stocking up for farmers, and the comparatively short life of these animals means a quicker turnover of expenditure than with dairying, sheep, or fruit farming. Pigs and poultry-farming in conjunction with dairying will mean better utilization of dairy byproducts and greater production per acre. It will mean more employment on a given area, and will bring about a further subdivision of land. The greater production per acre, too, will ease the burden of local rates. We already have in the Dominion the necessary refrigerating-space to handle the industry. Our present meat-export trade only keeps our freezing-works occupied at near full capacity for about two months in the year. For the rest of the year our works are operating very much below capacity or are closed altogether. Nevertheless, we could not carry on our present meat industry with much less killingspace than we now have, as fat lambs must be killed when ready, and the lamb-fattening season is a very short one. The result is that in our freezing industry the overhead costs in proportion to output are very heavy. A large pig and poultry export trade would greatly extend the operating season at our freezing-works, which, besides extending the working season for freezing-works employees, would greatly reduce the ratio of overhead to operating expenses, and thus reduce costs all round. This reduction in costs would react to the benefit of our sheep industry by reducing the costs of handling lamb and mutton in our freezing-works. The Committee do not wish it to be inferred that they think the removal of the duties on stockfoods would create the new industries overnight, as it were. New methods require experience, and this comes gradually. The benefits to be derived by the top-dressing of grass with fertilizers have been known for manjr years, but it is only in recent years that the practice has spread rapidly. The use of cheap grains for stock-foods, like the use of fertilizers, would be a gradual growth, and experience would have to be accumulated to use the new methods to the best advantage. Duties on stock-foods in New Zealand were put on to meet conditions entirely different from those obtaining in the Dominion to-day. Conditions have changed, but the duties remain. No matter what Government has been in power, our Legislature has always maintained the principle that farmers should have all reasonable assistance. Farm-produce for sale within the Dominion for general use has been protected, but materials and produce used only by farmers have either received no tariff protection or very little. Duties were originally put on grains used for stock-foods because years ago farmers grew grain to feed the large number of horses employed in the towns and cities. On the other hand, grass, clover, and fodder seeds were admitted duty-free, because, while they were grown by some of our farmers, they were used only by farmers. The Legislature preferred to see the many farmers who used seeds get them cheaply rather than give tariff protection to the few farmers who grew seeds. Conditions have changed. Cities and towns no longer require stock-foods, except in the smallest quantity. For example, twenty-five years ago New Zealand's annual consumption of oats was between thirteen and fourteen million bushels. If production fell below this quantity, importation took place. To-day, with almost double the population, annual consumption is less than four million bushels, and a large proportion of this is human consumption. The large potential buyer of grains for stock-foods to-day is the farmer himself. These stock-food grains should now be treated in the same way as seeds. It is more important that the many farmers who will use cheap grains if they can get them, should have what they require, than that the few farmers who grow these grains should have protection. Apart from this, it is quite an open question whether farmers who grow stock-food grains would not grow more grain without protection than with it. Stock-food grains are now so dear in New Zealand that farming methods are framed to do without them as far as possible, and the result is the local market is too small to be reliable and worth catering for. With stock-food grains coming in duty-free, a large local consuming market would quickly develop, and any farmer with land and experience suitable for economic grain-growing could go in for it with the knowledge that a large consuming market was always at hand. Take seeds as an example : Seeds enter this country duty-free, and seeds have, therefore, always been cheap in New Zealand. Seeds being cheap, farmers have used them freely, and have sown and resown their land whenever they thought it would benefit by it. There has, therefore, always been a large market for seeds in this country. The result has been that those farmers with land suitable for seed-growing and with the necessary experience, seeing a large market always at hand, have increased their seed-production, until to-day the bulk of the seed used in the Dominion is grown here and considerable quantities are exported. The tendency, too, is for seed-growing to further expand, and there is every prospect that the bulk of our seed-growing industry will get on to an export basis. Even to-day New Zealand may be said to be quite self-supporting as far as seeds are concerned, for, while she still imports some lines, she exports more than she imports. During the last two seasons the exports of seeds have amounted to £444,000, and the imports to £346,000. Thus, without any protection, New Zealand has developed a large seed industry, to the great advantage of the farmers of the Dominion, who are almost all users of seeds. In knowledge and experience of the work New Zealand seed-growers can hold their own with those of any country, and the seed-cleaning plants that have been erected in the Dominion to handle the locally grown seeds have no superiors and fc .w equals in the world.

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We have large grain-exporting countries within easy reach of New Zealand, such as Australia, Argentine, Canada, China, India, &c. The grain and stock-foods wanted in New Zealand are oats, barley, linseed, and linseed cakes and meals, cotton-seed cakes and meals, wheat-offals, maize, beans, &c. These gram and grain-products would not only help New Zealand farmers to supplement and balance their farm-grown feeds, so that these could be utilized to best advantage, but it would enable us to make much better use than we do of the large quantity of offals from our freezing-works. These make excellent stock-foods when mixed and balanced by grains. They are used entirely for stockfoods in the United States, where they are mixed with grains. In New Zealand we use these offals almost entirely as fertilizers, because we have no grains to use with them to make a balanced ration. These freezing-works offals are worth much more as stock-foods than as fertilizers. Their use as fertilizers can be replaced by mineral phosphates and synthetic ammonia. Fish-meals, which can be produced largely in New Zealand, are very valuable as stock-foods when mixed with grain products to produce a balanced and palatable ration. It is recognized in leading pig-raising countries that properly balanced rations for the economic production of pork must contain, in addition to grain, roots, or grass, a proper proportion of proteins of animal origin. These animal proteins we have in abundance in New Zealand in our skim-milk, buttermilk, whey, freezing-works offals, fish-meals, &c. For the want of grains to balance the rations, we are not making proper use of these valuable animal proteins. Making full use of these animal proteins in conjunction, with imported grain and the grass and roots that our farmers can produce in abundance will largely increase our per-acre production, and this will bring about the profitable working of farms of a smaller average size than we have at present. In Denmark about one-third of the pigs are reared on farms of less than 37 acres, and nearly seven-eighths on farms of less than 150 acres. Throughout the world pigkeeping is associated with small-scale farming. There can be no doubt that the development of a large industry in pig-products in New Zealand would facilitate closer settlement. The Imperial Economic Committee has recently (1929) made a very valuable report on pigs and pig-products in relation to the necessary supplies of Great Britain. This report contains the following remarks which are of particular interest to New Zealand: — New Zealand has probably greater possibilities than any other new country for the development of the pig industry. It is the greatest exporter of dairy-products in the world, and there is the additional advantage that the bulk of the milk-separation is done on the farms. It is true that the present production of cereals is not sufficient for any great extension of the industry, but we are assured that the problem of obtaining increased quantities of cereals for pig-feeding can be successfully solved. At present the fullest use is not made even of the dairy by-products. The greatest obstacle to increase pig-farming is the geographical position of New Zealand, which is five or six weeks' voyage from the chief market for bacon and pork. The investigation into these problems of transport is so important that the Low-temperature Research Station, Cambridge, which receives aid from the Empire Marketing Board, has formed a special section to deal with the general problems of the pork, ham, and bacon industries. The experiments so far conducted show that thoroughly satisfactory bacon can be made by the usual methods of curing from frozen pork, which is now transported in good condition in commercial quantities. Any defects noticeable are attributable not to the freezing of pork, but to prolonged subsequent storage. New Zealand has not, as yet, taken full advantage of its dairying industry for the development of pig-raising. This is clearly indicated by the following figures showing the ratio of pigs to milch cows in New Zealand and Denmark : —

Whey, which is the by-product of cheese-manufacture is not of the same value per pound of butterfat as skim-milk and buttermilk, which are the by-products of butter-manufacture. New Zealand manufactures a larger proportion of its milk into cheese than Denmark does, and on this account New Zealand could hardly expect to attain the same ratio of pigs to dairy cows as Denmark, but New Zealand should reach twenty pigs per ten cows as compared with Denmark's twenty-four and a half. This, on our present number of dairy cows, would mean that our average pig stock would increase from 520,000 to 2,600,000. The experience of advanced pig-raising countries, such as the United States and Denmark, is that their annual production of pork and lard amounts to about 200 lb. per head of their average pig stock for the year. An average pig stock of 500,000 pigs will produce all the pig-products that we require for home consumption. On the basis of twenty pigs per ten cows, we would then have 2,100,000 pigs producing for export, which on an annual production of 200 lb. per pig carried would give us an export surplus of roughly 420,000,000 lb. of pork and other pig-products. This is the equivalent of 7,000,000 freight carcasses of meat, which equals the total of our present meat-exports. In other woids, the volume of our present meat exports would be doubled. The effect of such a development would be that the present comparatively short season of employment at our freezing-works would be largely extended, and this would help to solve the employment problem always created by the closing of our freezing-works.

Number of Pics Number of Dairy Ratio of Pigs to Ten IN umber ot ±igs. Coyfa Dairy Cowg _ I New Zealand, 1927 .. 520,000 1,303,000 4 Denmark, 1927 .. .. 3,731,000 1,514,000 24§ |

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A plentiful supply of cheap grains to supplement our home-produced animal proteins, our magnificent grazing and climate, would enable our poultry industry to get on to an export basis. Adding pig and poultry products on a large scale to our present export list would, besides largely increasing the volume and value of our exports, spread our risk over a larger number of lines and thus even out the effect of fluctuations in market values. The additional number of people thus engaged in primary production, and the further numbers that would be employed in preparing the goods for market, transport, &c., would create employment for the usual proportion required to care for their wants. This addition to our population and consequent enlarging of our home market would increase our home industries in a greater ratio than the increased population, because the wider home market would make many lines of manufacture, by reason of the increased volume of output, economically possible that cannot be undertaken now except at undue cost. The increase in our population and our exports to Great Britain would further react to the benefit of Great Britain itself, because we in New Zealand take payment for what we sell to Great Britain and in return purchase from her to a much greater extent than other countries, particularly non-British countries. In 1928 every New-Zealander purchased goods from Great Britain to the extent of £13 ss. 5d., while every Dane purchased from her only to the value of £2 15s. lOd. As a buyer from Great Britain a New-Zealander is worth nearly five Danes. The Committee's recommendation is that all duties on stock-foods should be removed. In making this recommendation the Committee desires to again point out that it does not wish in any way to interfere with the protection given to grain grown for human consumption. Methods can easily be devised to keep grain imported for human food separate from grain imported for stock-food. Grain grown locally for human food, but which may turn out to be too low in quality for this purpose and will consequently have to find a market as stock-food, will, of course, suffer ; but if a man growing grain for human consumption cannot keep his quality up he should put up with the consequence. Carrying out the recommendations of the Committee will not affect those grain-growers who are growing grain for human consumption, except any grains not up to human-consumption standard. Neither will it require any financial assistance from the State. The removal of the stock-food duties will put all stock-raisers in a position to develop their industry further. Obtaining cheap grains to supplement and balance stock rations will enable better use to be made of stock-foods now produced on our farms. The first to take advantage of the cheap foods will be the raisers of poultry and pigs. Later, we feel satisfied, grains will be used as part of the feed for dairy cows. A small quantity of grain fed at milking-time to dairy cows to balance and supplement their farm-grown foods makes a great addition to their production. This has been proved in this country by breeders of purebred dairy cattle who put some of their cows under the semi-official test conducted by the Department of Agriculture. Even sheep-men, if they can get cheap grain, will find a little given to hoggets during autumn and winter months of great assistance. Pigs and poultry in conjunction with dairying will give greater production per acre than obtains at present. This will mean that one-man farms can be successful on smaller areas than at present, and larger farms will employ more labour and produce more than they do now. More production of export products from the farms of the Dominion will energize and stimulate every industry in the country. In the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture dated the 20th July, 1929, page 54, the following remarks appear:— In far too many cases no attempt is made to balance the cow's winter ration on account of a shortage of concentrates, but, where available, a small daily ration of a concentrate rich in protein, such as some of the recognized cattle-cakes, should be used. From experiments it has been shown that the extra return in milk-yield from cows receiving a concentrate ration has more than paid for the increased cost of feeding. There is also the satisfaction that an attempt is being made to balance a ration which is otherwise much too bulky, with an excess of water and starches. It is a noteworthy fact, also, that in town-supply herds, where concentrate feeding in winter is necessary to maintain the milk-supply, many troubles to which dairy cows are prone are not so prevalent. (Ill) Homes for Workers adjacent to Centres of Employment. In the Committee's first report we dealt with the question of homes for country workers, and pointed out the assistance it would be to these workers if they had homes that they could make their own with a moderate area of land attached thereto upon which they could be profitably employed during the period of seasonal unemployment and which could be looked after in the workers' spare time and by the workers' families during periods of full employment. The Committee pointed out that a small area of land efficiently worked would not only help to materially reduce the cost of living, but would also raise the standard of living by providing the home with a variety and quantity of homegrown produce that would be beyond the capacity of a wage-earner to purchase. A large number of town workers must always be subject to irregular employment. Much of the work on our waterfronts, in our freezing-works, wool-stores, in the building trades, public works, and in many other lines is of a seasonal or intermittent nature. A large reservoir of labour must always be available to enable the class of work mentioned to be carried out, and in seasons and periods of slackness a portion of this labour is without employment. If these workers could be provided with homes at a moderate cost on the outskirts of our cities, having sufficient land attached thereto for a garden, it would reduce their cost of living and provide profitable home-work during periods of en-

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forced idleness. The amount of produce that can be taken from any half-acre of land efficiently worked is astonishing. If a small area can be covered with a glasshouse for early crops and more tender plants, production is greatly increased both in quantity and value. Improved roads and motor transport now make it possible for workers to live on the outskirts of the cities and move rapidly and cheaply to and from their work. A very successful workers' settlement has recently been established in the Hutt Valley, and the experience gained in this scheme would be of value in carrying out further work of a similar nature. The following are some extracts from a report on the Hutt Valley Settlement Scheme by Mr. F. 11. Waters, Chief Surveyor, Wellington : —- Towards the latter part of 1923 and early in 1924 the Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. W. T. Strand, secured options to purchase a considerable area of land in the eastern portion of the Hutt Valley with the view of opening up and developing same for residential purposes. At the time these options were obtained the greater part of this land was being used solely for farming purposes, and, as such, was a source of annoyance to the Crown and to the local authority through repeated applications for revaluations under the Valuation of Land Act. Having initiated a scheme which in all probability would make considerable provision for the much larger population which will later be resident in the City of Wellington and in the Hutt Valley, Mr. Strand then submitted the whole of his options to the Government with a view to the latter undertaking the development of the areas. The proposal that the Government would take over and exercise and accept these options was fully inquired into by a committee comprising officers of the Public Works and Railways Departments, and later a conference between members of Cabinet and representatives of these Departments recommended the acquisition of the land included in the options. It was further decided by the conference that the construction of a line of railway through these areas, which line would ultimately connect up with the existing railway at Silverstream, would be an essential factor towards making the scheme a financial success. The Government, having decided that the scheme was economically sound, went ahead and made its purchases. With the exception of a few areas taken by Proclamation under the Public Works Act, the bulk of the purchases were made out of Land for Settlement Account, and, such being the case, came automatically under the contro 1 of the Lands and Survey Department for administration purposes. The total area purchased in connection with the scheme is approximately 682 acres. In 1925 the Hutt Valley Lands Settlement Act was passed, making special provision for the administration and disposal of lands in the Hutt Valley acquired for settlement or other purposes. This Act provides, inter alia, for the establishment of an Advisory Board whose function shall be to make to the Land Board such recommendations, not inconsistent with the Act, as it thinks fit with respect to the mode of subdivision and disposal of lands subject to the Act, and generally with respect to matters arising in the administration of the Act. Close co-operation between the various Departments is essential for the purpose of this scheme, and it may be worth mentioning here their particular functions. The Lands and Survey Department is responsible for the purchase of the land, the subdivision into residential sites, and the finding of money for the roading and laying of sewers, storm-water drains, and high-pressure water-supply, the Public Works Department supervising the engineering-works above mentioned; the Railways Department controls the erection of dwellings. When the homes are allotted to the various applicants, they in turn apply to the State Advances Department for loans. When these are granted, the Lands Department is reimbursed for cost of land, plus roading costs, &c., and the Railways Department for the cost of dwelling. The Advisory Board mentioned in Mr. Waters's report was composed of business men and others who were experts in building, gardening, &c. Mr. W. T. Strand, the originator of the whole scheme, was also on the Board. The Hutt Valley Settlement has been a success, but in the opinion of this Committee it would have been better still if the area of the sections had been larger. They average one-sixth of an acre, which is too small to properly develop the garden production that this Committee has in view. The area of land with each home should be at least half an acre of good land. To save expense in roading, the sections could be given considerable depth. An 80 ft. frontage by 272 ft. depth would provide half an acre. In order to provide for possible city developments of the more-distant future, when the land on which worker settlements are now placed may become too valuable to be continued for this purpose, a reserve for future possible streets might be made at the back of the half-acre sections now laid off. These reserves in the meantime could be leased to the adjoining owners. Assuming the reserves were for streets 66 ft. wide and half this width leased to each adjoining owner, it would add 33 ft. to the depth of the sections and make the area to be occupied by each worker, say, 80 ft. frontage by 305 ft. depth. Of this area, 80 ft. by 272 ft. would be owned by the worker acquiring the home, and the back portion, of 33 ft. by 80 ft., would be leased by the worker and would be available if at some time in the future further streets were required. The organization of these workers' settlements should be on the lines of the Hutt Valley Settlement, the carrying-out of the schemes being in the hands of the officers of the Government Departments interested, working in conjunction with a carefully selected citizens' board or committee of voluntary workers. Managed on these lines, and with reasonably level lands, homes could be provided at a cost of from £800 to £1,000. Homes of this value are within the reach of workers when sold to them on long-dated table-mortgage terms.

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The most important feature in connection -with these proposed workers' settlements is the intensive cultivation of the land to produce for consumption in the workers' own home; and, further, there is no reason why a surplus should not be grown for sale. Production both for home consumption and for sale would be largely helped by the provision of glasshouses. These should be provided on table-mortgage terms for those workers who applied for them and could show that they had the necessary knowledge to work them. Efficient intensive cultivation requires knowledge that few people at present have, and instruction would therefore be required. It would be important to see that some members of the proposed voluntary boards or committees were expert gardeners. In addition to this, adequate gardening instruction should always be available. This could be supplied by the appointment of gardening instructors, who would work under the Department of Agriculture. This Department now employs a number of agricultural instructors who do most valuable work amongst farmers. Gardening instructors should be available for consultation by those cultivating gardens in the same way as agricultural instructors are available for farmers. The Department also publishes a very valuable monthly journal for the use of farmers, for which the annual subscription is 6s. A small section of the Journal of Agriculture is now devoted to gardening, but for the purpose recommended by this Committee this is not sufficient. Either the gardening section should be enlarged or a separate monthly journal of gardening should be issued on the same lines as the present Journal of Agriculture. If the subscription could be reduced to start with and kept very low until gardening knowledge became more general, it would be helpful. Originally the annual subscription to the Journal of Agriculture was 2s. 6d., and it remained at this for a good many years. Now the subscription is 6s. When once it was realized what could be produced on half an acre in the workers' spare time with the assistance of his family, and particularly when a glasshouse was available, the knowledge of how to do it would be sought for and would quickly spread. Quite apart from the value of the produce raised in these proposed garden homes, there is the benefit to the rising generation to be considered. Children brought up in these garden settlements would have something of a definite nature to occupy their spare time in a profitable way. Boys and girls alike would acquire a knowledge fitting them to take up land in larger areas, which would enable them to become valuable settlers on small-farm holdings, to the great advantage not only of themselves but of the whole community. The benefit to be derived from such settlements from all points of view are very great, and would not cost the taxpayers anything. The whole expenditure should be returned with interest. (IV) Review of Statistics. In our previous report we gave a table showing the numbers of unemployed as registered with the Labour Department each week from 1921 onwards, and also a table showing the numbers on public works each week for the same period. These tables are brought up to latest date available to us in this report. The figures are given in Table I side by side for the calendar year 1929. In our first report we commented on the outstanding fact that the rapid growth of unemployed registrations in 1926, 1927, 1928, and 1929 were coincident with and accompanied by a much larger and similarly rapid growth in the numbers engaged on public works. The figures now given for the latter portion of 1929 are informative in this connection. It will be observed that, following the Government's undertaking to absorb all unemployed willing to work, there were an abnormal number of registrations in the beginning of October, and that, although these were rapidly reduced by the action taken, the numbers on the registers still continue at a high level in comparison with previous years, despite the increased numbers on public works. The net effect seems to be that numbers who somehow or other were provided for otherwise, are drawn on to public works, while the numbers registering for employment continue much the same. We are convinced that the uneconomic absorption of large numbers on public works is not a remedy for the problem. Only some stimulus to economic activity and renewed confidence permeating through commerce and industry can satisfactorily relieve the situation. In order to obtain some understanding of the nature and extent of the unemployment prevailing, we gave an analysis of those on the unemployed registers for the week Bth July, 1929, in a series of tables in our first report. We now attach a similar series of tables (Nos. 2to 8) for those on the registers in the abnormal peak week of 14th October. These are now briefly summarized. Following on the announcement by the Government that work would be offered to all unemployed registered with the Labour Department, an immediate increase in the number of applicants on the register was recorded, the total applications remaining on the registers rising from 2,466 on 30th September to 4,924 on 7th October and further to 6,264 on 14th October. During the following weeks a considerable number of men were placed, the total number of applicants on the register falling to 5,505 on 21st October, to 4,142 on 28th October, with a steady fall to 1,242 at end of year. In the summarized tables attached showing various classifications of the applicants on the register on 14th October, the details respecting two districts were supplied for 15th October instead of the 14th, which accounts for the total applicants dealt with in the tables being 6,377, instead of 6,264 registered on the 14th. Of the 6,377 men included in the tables, 3,451 were unskilled labourers, representing 54 per cent, of the total. Motor-drivers (346) were next in numerical order, followed by carpenters and joiners (236), clerical workers (189), farm hands (169), storemen and packers (126), and painters and glaziers (107). There were 2,794 single and 3,249 married men included in the total. The classification according to dependency shows that 2,483 men had no dependants; 993, one dependant; 957, two

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dependants ; 729, three dependants ; 443, four dependants ; and 438 five dependants or over. There were 3,593 New-Zealand-born, while 2,291 of those born outside New Zealand had been in the Dominion for two years or over, so that recent arrivals accounted for only a small proportion of the total, some 48 applicants on the register being of less than six-months residence, while 97 men had not resided in New Zealand for twelve months. The age-distribution table shows that 1,438 applicants on the register were under 25 years of age, while 2,616 were between age 25 and age 44 ; the age-group 45-64 including 1,871 men, while 118 were 65 years of age or over. There were 1,151 men fit for light work only. This number represents 19 per cent, of the total. The classification according to the period on the registers shows that 4,534 men had been registered for under three months, 987 between three and twelve months, and 522 for twelve months or over. It is interesting to note that the results of the classification made on 14th October, when the number of men classified was 6,377, compare very closely with those obtained in the months preceding, when the number of applicants on the register varied between 2,000 and 3,800. The percentage of labourers to the total applicants on the register on 14th October, 1929 (54 per cent.), is somewhat lower than that in previous months, the figures for the past twelve months being : 1928 —November, 58 ; December, 58. 1929 —January, 66 ; February, 60; March, 65 ; April, 65 ; May, 66 ; June, 66 ; July, 65 ; August, 61 ; September, 65 ; and October, 54 per cent. The recent pronouncement of the Government regarding the placing of applicants stated that skilled work would be found as far as was possible for tradesmen. Possibly this has caused a greater proportion of tradesmen to register than was previously the case. The large sudden increase in the number of new registrations is reflected in the classification according to period on the unemployment registers, the number included in the class " Under three months " increasing from 1,465 on 9th September to 4,534 on 11th November, whereas the class " Three but under twelve months " showed an increase from 689 to 987, and the class " Twelve months and over " from 440 to 522. The table showing the duration of unemployment during the past six months compares very closely with the results of a similar classification made in September. Despite the fact that the number of men covered by this classification was only 2,564 in September as compared with 5,482 in October, the average duration of unemployment is practically the same, showing that the sample taken in the earlier month was a good representation as regards duration of unemployment. The actual percentages unemployed in the various groupings made are —

The dependency classification is practically identical for the past few months. Approximately 40 per cent, of the men have no dependants ; 15 or 16 per cent., one dependant; 16 or 17 per cent., two ; 13 per cent., three ; Bor 9 per cent., four ; and Bor 9 per cent., five dependants or over. The actual percentages for the past six months are —•

Tlie proportion of New-Zealand-born among the applicants on the register has varied between 55 and 60 per cent, in the last six months, the figure for 14th October being 59 per cent. Between 11 and 19 per cent, of the men are fitted for light work only, the figure for October (19 per cent.) being somewhat higher than the normal.

Percentages of Total. Duration of Unemployment during past Six Months. September, 1929. October, 1929. Per Cent. Per Cent. Under 2 weeks .. .. . > .. 4 5 2 but under 4 weeks .. .. .. 7 7 4 „ 6 „ .. .. .. 11 9 6 „ 10 „ .. .. .. 19 17 10 „ 14 „ .. .. .. 18 18 14 „ 18 „ 14 15 18 „ 24 „ .. .. .. 10 12 24 weeks and over .. .. .. .. 17 17 Total .. .. .. .. 100 100

Percentage of Total on Register. Number of Dependants. j May. June. July. August. September. October. 0 .. .. .. 40 40 38 38 33 41 1 .. .. .. ..15 15 15 14 16 16 2.. .. .. ..16 16 17 16 18 16 3 .. .. .. 13 13 13 14 15 12 4.. .. .. .. 8 9 9 9 9 7 5 or over .. .. .. 8 7 8 9 9 8

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The foregoing analysis dealt with the abnormal registrations in the peak week of 14th October, 1929. They represent an increase of 2,481 on the numbers registered on Bth July, 1929, the week for which the analysis given in our first report was prepared —6,377 in October as against 3,896 in July. It will be interesting, therefore, to compare the nature and character of the unemployed for these two weeks —the normal and the abnormal. 1. Occupations.—The proportion of labourers to total applicants declined from 65 per cent, in July to 54 per cent, in October. Despite the considerable increase in the total number of registrations, the number of farm hands registered dropped from 173 in July to 169 in October. 2. Age distribution.—

In October the proportion of men in the age-group 45-64 is higher than in July, with a coiresponding decrease in the proportion included in the age-group 25-44. On the whole, the distribution is, however, remarkably similar. 3. Dependency. —

The proportion of men with no dependants is slightly higher in October, while the proportion with three or four dependants is lower. 4. Birthplace. —The proportion of New-Zealand-born to total applicants was in July 60 per cent, and in October 59 per cent. 5. Fitness for Heavy or Light Work. —Only 11 per cent, of the men were in July fit for light work only, while in October this figure rose to 19 per cent. 6. Period on the Unemployment Registers.—The large increase in the number of registrations is reflected in this table, the class " Under three months " increasing from 2,477 in July to 4,534 in October ; the class " Three but under twelve months " from 797 to 987, while in the class " Twelve months and over " a decrease has been recorded from 539 in July to 522 in October. 7. Duration of Unemployment during Past Six Months. —

The proportion of men who have been out of work for a considerable length of time is higher in October than in July.

Age. July. ! October. Percentage of Total. Percentage of Total. Under 25 .. .. .. 23 24 25 to 44 .. .. .. 47 43 45 „ 64 .. .. .. 28 31 65 and over .... 2 2 Total .. .. 100 100

Number of Dependants. July. October. Percentage of Total. Percentage of Total. 0 . . . . 38 41 1 .. .. 15 16 2 .. .. 17 16 3 .. .. 13 12 4 9 7 5 8 8 Total .. 100 100

Total Duration of Unemployment during Past Six Months. July. October. Percentage of Total. Percentage of Total. Under 2 weeks .. .. .. .. 9 5 2 but under 4 weeks .. .. .. 13 7 4 „ 6 „ .. .. .. 10 9 6 „ 10 „ .. .. .. 18 17 10 „ 14 „ .. .. .. 17 18 14 „ 18 „ .. .. .. 11 15 18 „ 24 „ .. .. .. 9 12 24 weeks and over .. .. .. .. 13 17 Total .. .. .. .. 100 100

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(V) Results of the Individual Investigation of a large Sample of those on the Unemployed Registers for over Twelve Months. In the consideration of the analysis of the unemployed we noted that considerable numbers had been on the registers for over twelve months, and seemed to have reached a stage of more or less chronic unemployment. It may be again explained that applicants desiring to be considered for employment are required to renew their applications fortnightly, and those not doing so are struck off the register. Applicants off the register for over three months are treated as new registrations on next application. Persons (whether or not they were temporarily or intermittently employed) renewing their applications at shorter intervals than three months are regarded as continuously on the register. We considered that it would be informative and instructive if these cases could be individually investigated, so as to ascertain as far as possible the causes which accounted for their being in their present position. We therefore appointed one of our number to visit the four chief centres, and a searching investigation was made into over 50 per cent, of these cases, each one being interviewed and reports obtained in regard to them from previous employers and citizens to whom they were known. The staff of the Employment Bureau at each centre gave every assistance, and facilities were provided for interviewing the applicants privately. By a short conversation tactfully interspersed with a series of questions statements were obtained as to the causes and reasons for their continued unemployment. The material collected embodies a fairly correct picture of the position in regard to these men. More than half of this class on the register at each centre at the time of the visit were interviewed, each one being taken at random as they came in to renew registration, and the number dealt with may fairly be regarded as representative of the whole. Although many of the men have worked so large a proportion of the period that they might almost be regarded as semicasual workers, there is still grounds for serious misgivings with respect to the amount of unemployment revealed. The quality of the men as potential workers is surprisingly high, all things considered. The very few men marked as " Unemployable " is probably due to the fact that the most hopeless and feckless do not register ; there is nothing to gain by it, save investigation, which they do not want. Hence the lowest stratum is probably not in the investigation. On the other hand, the more virile and individualistic when thrown out of work do not trouble to register, but battle round and fend for themselves. Seasonal unemployment seemed most marked in Christchurch, and unemployment due to retrenchment on municipal works in Auckland. Unemployment due to displacement, by new processes appears common to all centres. There are comparatively few recent immigrants in the number. In addition to the personal interview with the applicant, inquiries were made in each case, and reports received from recent employers of the applicant or from citizens to whom he was known, and by this means a rough classification of the applicants interviewed was made under various headings. In all, 453 men were dealt with—l9o in Auckland, 81 in Wellington, 160 in Christchurch, and 22 in Dunedin. A statistical analysis of the results obtained is given in Tables 9 to 17 of the Appendix. The more important features disclosed by this analysis may now be referred to. Efficiency. —Considerable care was exercised by the investigator in forming a correct opinion as to the efficiency, as workers, of the men interviewed, and, to that end, inquiries were made from previous employers, wherever possible, as to the working-ability of applicants. Each applicant was then classified under one of six headings, the number of men in each class being as follows : " Superior," 4 ; " Good," 205 ; " Fair," 141 ; " Indifferent," 67 ; " Poor," 29 ; and " Unemployable," 7. Duration of Unemployment. —Some interesting facts are revealed by the classification according to the duration of unemployment during the past twelve months, taken in conjunction with the " efficiency " classification. Although only three men, two of whom were classified as " unemployable," did no work at all during the past twelve months, the great majority of the men suffered considerable spells of unemployment, 252 having had thirty weeks' unemployment or more during the year under review, while 198 men were unemployed for less than thirty weeks. In three cases the duration of unemployment was not stated. One would expect the more efficient men to be employed on the average for longer periods than the less efficient; but, while this is the case, the differences are not as marked as one would expect. Age Distribution.—The classification according to age-groups was : Under 25 years of age, 62 ; 25-44 years, 192 ; 45-64 years, 187 ; 65 years of age and over, 12. It is noteworthy that a large proportion of the men were included in the older-age groups, 199, or 44 per cent., being over 44 years of age. Birthplaces.—The majority of the men were New-Zealand-born, 243 being so classified, while 210 were born outside New Zealand. Of these born outside New Zealand, 125 were born in England, 27 in Australia, 27 in Scotland, 15 in Ireland, 8 in other parts of the Empire, while only 8 were born in foreign countries. It is noteworthy that 129 of the 210 immigrants had been resident in this country for ten years or over. Cause of Unemployment as stated by Applicant. —The reason given by applicants for their unemployment was in 393 cases " lack of employment" in his usual occupation; while 16 were unable to be placed on account of being unfitted for heavy work. Four recent arrivals in New Zealand found themselves unable to get placed in this country ; while 8 men left their last employment because they thought the wages too low. Occupations. —Some 299 men were classified as unskilled labourers, the remaining 154 being widely distributed among no less than 39 separate occupations. Motor-drivers (21), farm hands (14), and carpenters (12) were the only other occupations of' any numerical significance. Conjugal Condition and Dependency.—The conjugal condition of the 453 men was : Single, 131 ; married, 309 ; widowed, 13. The dependency classification was : No dependants, 107 ; one dependant, 76 ; two dependants, 92 ; three dependants, 71 ; four dependants, 54 ; and five dependants or over, 53.

23

H.-118

Special Circumstances militating against Employment.—lnsobriety was a contributing factor to unemployment in 29 cases ; while in 79 cases immobility due to illness of a dependant was a circumstance rendering the search for work more difficult. " Lack of industry " (16 cases), " Disgruntled nature "(9 cases), " Unsteady" (40), " Roving disposition " (12), and " General inefficiency " (5 cases) also appeared in the classification ; while the state of general health was a factor in 46, physical disability in 26, and age in 38 cases. Applicants under 25 Years of Age. —Some 62 of the 453 men interviewed were under 25 years of age. Inquiry as to the schooling of these men shows that 57 had a primary-school education only, while 2 spent, in addition, one year at a secondary school, and 3 had technical-school training. It is noteworthy that only II of these 62 men are at present following the same occupation as they did immediately after leaving school. Of 9 who started as factory hands 7 have drifted into general labour, while 7 of the 10 former message-boys are now labourers. General Notes. (1) The predominance of unskilled labourers and semiskilled workers is marked. Classifying the occupations roughly into trades brings out the following results : Building trades, 24 ; engineering and metal trades, 25 ; other skilled trades, 21 ; and other occupations, 383. Included under the heading " Building trades " are 12 carpenters and 5 painters. It is possible that some of these men are not skilled tradesmen, but " near-carpenters " and " brush hands," so that the proportion of skilled men is very small. (2) Although only 3 men have done no work at all during the twelve months, the average duration of unemployment is very high, the actual average for the 453 men interviewed being 31-1 weeks. (3) A very large proportion of the men interviewed are included in the older-age groups, 199 men being 45 years of age or over, as compared with 192 between 25 and 44 years of age. This is a very high proportion when it is considered that the great bulk of the working population are included in the 25-44 age-group. The severity of unemployment increases materially with age, the average number of weeks unemployed according to age-groups being—Under 25, 29-2 weeks ; 25-44 years, 29-3 weeks ; 45-64, 32-3 weeks ; and 65 and over, 37-5 weeks. (4) A study of the " efficiency " classification in conjunction with the special " circumstances " makes it apparent that the great majority of these men are not average types. In the first place, there are 67 classified as " Indifferent," 29 as " Poor," and 7 as " Unemployable " as regards efficiency— a total of 103 whose lack of efficiency must be a serious bar to their prospects of employment. The 141 men whose efficiency is classified as " Fair " would probably not be handicapped by lack of efficiency in good times, but in times of a surplus of labour their prospects of obtaining employment would be lessened. Of the 209 men whose efficiency is classified as " Superior "or " Good," some special circumstance or circumstances militates against employment in 94 cases, leaving a residuum of 115 men whose efficiency is well established and concerning whom no special circumstances affecting their prospects of employment have been recorded. As stated, not a great proportion of the cases investigated were unemployable, the majority being deserving of consideration and largely dependent on seasonal work. We consider much good and useful work could be done by the Board in dealing with these cases on the lines indicated in the first part of this report; we are convinced that many deserving cases could be rescued from the feeling that they were down and out permanently. (VI) Cost of Relief Work in New Zealand. The information following under this heading was obtained by addressing a questionnaire to the Public Works Department, the State Forest Service, Lands and Survey Department, and eighteen local 'bodies, which were asked to supply the Unemployment Committee with particulars showing'— (1) Total cost of relief works ; (2) total amount of wages paid ; (3) cost of overhead and other charges ; (4) number of workers employed in each month on relief works ; (5) nature of relief work provided. The information supplied was fairly complete, but the actual number of men employed in each month was not stated by the Mount Fden, Hamilton, Lower Hutt, and Invercargill Borough Councils and the Nelson City Council. Reference to the summary attached will show, however, that Mount Eden, Hamilton, and Invercargill Borough Councils were able to supply figures showing the average number employed per month in each of the three years under review. In the case of Nelson City the relief work provided was carried out by co-operative gangs, and the amount allocated for wages was paid directly to the foreman of each group, who himself paid the men engaged. The amounts expended on relief works in the three years for which returns were supplied were as follows :—

j 1026-27. 3927-28. [ 1928-29. - & s. d. £ s. d. £ a. d. Public Works Department .. .. 130,000 0 0 379,565 0 0 680,393 0 0 State Forest Service .. .. 14,240 0 0 27,550 0 0 50,250 0 0 Lands and Survey Department .. .. .. 3,500 0 0 Auckland City Council .. .. 61,299 5 8 63,099 17 6 28,523 14 7 Wellington City Council .. .. 11,937 18 4 76,300 19 4 1 48,923 14 3 Christchurch City Council .. .. 6,704 6 6 39,801 10 11 25,303 18 1 Dunedin City Council .. .. 3,175 13 11 9,750 19 10 : 8,492 1 2 Fourteen other local bodies .. .. 28,976 4 10 77,232 2 7 70,019 17 8 Totals .. .. £256,333 9 3 673,300 10 2 915,406 5 9

H.—Hb

24

It will be observed that in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin there was a greater expenditure on relief work between Ist April, 1927, and 31st March, 1928, than in the following year. At the same time, each of these years for the four chief towns shows a considerably greater amount expended in relieving unemployment than in 1926-27. If the large sum expended in Auckland in 1926-27 is removed, it will be seen that the other three chief towns used only £21,816 to assist the unemployed. In 1927-28 Auckland City Council increased its expenditure on relief works by £1,800, whereas the other three centres increased the amounts voted for this purpose by approximately £104,035 for the year 1927-28, the individual increases being as follows : Wellington, £64,363 ; Christchurch, £33,097 ; and Dunedin, £6,575. Reference to the attached appendix (Table XVIII) will show that in the four chief centres £77,710 less was spent on unemployment relief for the year 1928-29 than in the previous year. A considerable reduction in unemployment-relief expenditure also occurred in the case of the following local bodies :— Borough or City. 1927-28. 1928-29. £ £ Hamilton .. .. .. .. .. 4,555 4,125 Wanganui .. .. .. .. .. 14,323 13,783 Mount Eden .. .. .. .. .. 6,597 1,974 Newmarket .. .. .. .. .. 3,007 1,573 Palmerston North .. .. .. .. 5,122 2,554 Nelson .. .. .. .. .. 3,713 1,061 Invercargill .. .. .. .. .. 11,523 6,784 Totals .. .. .. .. £48,840 £21,854 On the other hand, several Borough Councils increased their expenditure on relief works during the year 1928-29. The local bodies coming within this category are as set out hereunder : — 1927-28. 1928-29. Borough. £ £ Onehunga .. .. .. .. .. 1,029 3,470 Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. 4,429 4,435 Napier .. .. .. .. .. 5,451 6,675 New Plymouth .. .. .. .. 3,430 5,599 Lower Hutt .. .. .. .. .. 10,119 11,487 Timaru .. .. .. .. .. 2,132 6,492 Totals .. .. .. .. £26,590 £38,158 A survey of the amounts expended by the Public Works Department and the State Forest Service in the three years under review furnishes interesting and somewhat illuminating information. Briefly stated, it is this : that as the expenditure by the local bodies from which returns were received fell away in 1928-29, there was a correspondingly large increase in the amounts used by the two Government Departments mentioned above. The table attached (XVIII) shows that in 1928-29 the Public Works Department spent £680,393 and the State Forest Service £50,250 on relief works, representing increases of £300,828 and £22,700 respectively over the previous year ; also, in the same year the Lands and Survey Department expended £3,500 on relief works. As was to be expected, the slackening-off in the efforts of the larger local bodies to deal with the problem of unemployment has brought about increased activity on the part of the Government in establishing relief works. Wages and Overhead Charges. The total amount expended by the eighteen local bodies that furnished returns for the three years was £559,542. The expenditure of the Public Work Department, the State Forest Service, and the Lands and Survey Department totalled £1,285,498 during the same period. Of the grand total of £1,845,040, wages absorbed £1,301,774, or 70-56 per cent., and a sum of £543,265, or 29-44 per cent., was required to meet overhead and other charges. As may be expected, the returns from local bodies show that wherever teams of horses and drays, motor-lorries, road-tractors, and trucks had to be provided the overhead charges were heavy as compared with the wages paid to the relief workers. On relief works which principally took the form of clearing or grubbing gorse or other noxious weeds, forming children's playgrounds, and tree planting the amounts expended in wages were naturally larger than the overhead charges, as in most cases tools and barrows only had to be provided. In six instances the cost of materials and overhead charges exceeded the amount paid out in wages : in 1926-27 Auckland expended £7,387 and Palmerston North £867 ; in 1927-28 Onehunga spent £495 ; and in 1928-29 New Plymouth spent £172, Wanganui £2,124, and Timaru £523 more in this respect than on wages. Number op Workers engaged in each Month. On the whole, local bodies appear to have provided relief works when there was the most urgent demand for employment. In 1926-27 relief works were commenced by a number of the smaller local bodies about the beginning of June and closed down between October and December, The State

25

H— 11b

Forest Service in each year did not vary from its usual programme : i.e., it engaged men for its planting season —-viz., June to October. The larger local bodies, however, have found it necessary to provide almost continuous relief ever since July of 1926, as is shown by the accompanying table. In some cases the numbers certainly show a marked decrease during the first three months of each year, when men are able to secure seasonal employment. It is apparent at the same time that the provision of extensive works for the unemployed has not had the effect of reducing the number of applications for employment, in proof of which it is only necessary to consider the workers employed by the Public Works Department throughout the year 1928-29. In keeping with the decrease in the amount spent on relief works in 1928-29, there was generally a corresponding decrease in the average number of men employed by local bodies, while the Public Works figures show a marked upward tendency. The average number employed per month by that Department in 1928-29 was 1,124 more than in 1927-28, and 2,370 greater than 1926-27. The State Forest Service figures follow a similar movement: 189 more men were engaged in 1928-29 than in the previous year, and 259 more than in 1926-27. Nature of Work provided. The Public Works Department was mainly engaged in main-highway construction and in improving existing main roads ; the State Forest Service, of course, placed relief workers wherever tree-planting was being carried out; and the small amount expended by the Lands and Survey Department was for the purpose of flax-planting, scrub-clearing, blackberry-cutting, and draining swamp lands. Reference to the summary table attached (XX) will show that local bodies in eleven instances engaged men clearing reserves of noxious weeds, and the work of forming, levelling, and planting of parks and reserves was generally adopted as a means of providing relief in each of the three years. All the local bodies engaged in the work of constructing roads and footpaths, and operations of an allied nature. Charitable-aid Expenditure in New Zealand. Another aspect of relief is to be seen in the payments made by way of charitable aid to unemployed persons, as distinct from the ordinary form of charitable-aid expenditure. According to information obtained from the annual reports of the Health Department, the following statement shows the estimated amount of relief received by applicants whose unemployment was involuntary :— v Number of Estimated Amount ear " Persons. received. £ 1926-27 .. .. .. .. 2,497 64,303 1927-28 .. .. .. .. 3,670 87,497 Conclusion. In the first section of our report we expressed our intention of investigating other subjects —landsettlement, the development of new branches of industry connected with land, vocational education, &c. In this section of our report we have recommended the creation of a New Zealand Employment Board, which, if established, would naturally take up the investigation of these remaining matters as part of their work. We feel, therefore, at this juncture, unless it is the special wish of the Government that we should continue our investigations in regard to the.unemployment problem, that nothing further is required from us. We will accordingly await your instructions before taking up any further line of investigation. We remain, Yours faithfully, W. D. Hunt. T. 0. Bishop, Malcolm Fraser. Oscar Mcßrine. Jas. Roberts. H. D. Thomson. Wellington, 28th January, 1930.

4—H. 11b.

H.—llb

26

APPENDIX.

TABLE 1.—UNEMPLOYED. Number of Men on the Unemployed Registers of the Labour Department, together with the Number of Public Works Employees (Artisans and Labourers) at the End of each Week during the Calendar Year 1929.

Week ending tJn^ 1 a ° t^ ent Public Works. January 5 .. .. 1,828 11,556 12 .. .. 2,419 12,861 19 .. .. 2,476 13,344 26 .. .. 2,457 13,740 February 2 .. 2,369 14,081 .,9 .. 2.491 14,229 16 .. 2,429 14,470 23 .. 2,440 14,544 March 2 .. 2,534 14,475 9 .. 2,692 14,295 „ 16 .. .. 2,790 14,251 „ 23 .. 2,956 14,111 „ 30 .. 2,787 13,694 April 6 .. .. 2,796 13,966 „ 13 .. .. 3,211 13,860 „ 20 .. .. 3,198 13,807 „ 27 .. .. 3,263 13,850 May 4 .. .. 3,211 13,692 „ 11 .. .. 3,335 13,559 „ 18 .. .. 3,388 13,492 „ 25 .. .. 3,427 13.611 June 1 .. .. 3,638 13,479 8 .. .. 3,418 13,167 „ 15 .. .. 3,431 12,961 „ 22 .. .. 3,662 12,702 „ 29 .. .. 3,796 12,591

Week ending j Un |tegjgtSs ent Pa 1 " 110 Works. July 6 .. .. 3,896 12,465 „ 13 .. .. 3,850 12,326 „ 20 .. .. 3,735 12,366 „ 27 .. .. 3,349 12,676 August 3 .. .. 3,368 12,890 „ 10 .. .. 3,082 : 12,992 17 .. .. 2,941 12,937 24 .. .. 2,795 [ 13,019 31 .. .. 2,722 | 12,939 September 7 .. 2,618 12,933 14 .. 2,608 | 12,952 21 .. 2,617 13,321 „ 28 .. 2,466 | 13,381 October 5 .. .. 4,924 13,353 12 .. .. 6,264 13,500 19 .. .. 5,505 14.132 26 .. .. 4,142 15,102 November 2 .. 3,108 15,861 9 .. 2,589 16,209 16 .. 2,624 15,867 23 .. 2,544 15,867 30 .. 2,404 15,705 December 7 .. 2,080 15.832 14 .. 1,854 15^916 21 .. 1,453 15,574 28 .. 1,242 15,028

H.—llB.

TABLE 2.—UNEMPLOYED—OCCUPATIONS BY DISTRICTS. Number on the Unemployed Registers for each Occupation, by Districts. 14th October, 1929.

27

A | & fl s -a § S j a a ■3 5 I a § S ® i S -3 § 3 ■ 2? Occupation. g ffiS^sBn'SSSUdS^Bg 3 s»®S?S-£^a > c'°§&S2S---o rH flSS' Q nt>.9" i£ a S S 5 it <1 PofiPWOfei^Pflil^fecSHOMH Acetone welder .. 1 1 Bakers and pastrycooks 3 14 9 6 .. 1 .. 2 1 3 39 Biograph operator .. 2 2 Blacksmiths .. .. 11 6 11 6 .. 2 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 2 3 43 Boilermakers .. .. 10 2 2 3 1 18 Boot operatives .. 12 11 11 6 1 1 .. 42 Bricklayers .. .. 1 1 2 1 1 1 7 Brickmakers .. .. 2 2 Brushmakers .. .. 1 1 Butchers .. .. 12 6 15 5 .. 2 4 4 1 1 .. 1 1 5 57 Caretakers and liftmen .. 11 6 .. 4 .. .. j 2 23 Carpenters and joiners .. 110 22 34 16 4 4 5 5 .. 10 5 2 2 2 1 14 236 Chainmen .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Clerical workers .. 63 28 27 26 1 10 .. 3 4 3 7 3 1 1 4 .. 8 189 Coach-workers • • 6 4 2 i 12 Cooks .. .. 20 16 19 1 1 2 2 6 .. 5 7 5 .. 1 1 .. 3 89 Confectioners .. .. 3 .. 4 1 1 9 Cordial-factory workers Cotton-weaver Curriers .. .. • • • • 1 [ 1 Dairy-factory workers •• 2 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. 1 6 Horse-drivers .. .. 11 2 3 2 18 Motor-drivers .. .. 97 57 46 39 .. 22 9 12 2 4 20 5 6 3 6 2 16 346 Electrical workers • • 16 5 13 7 .. 6 2 5 54 Engine-drivers .. 19 4 5 6 1 6 1 2.. 2.. 1 4 51 Engineers .. .. .. 3 3 1 .. 2 j 9 Fitters and turners .. 20 9 21 9.. .. 1 1 2 7 2..;.. .. 2.. 5 79 Platelayers .. .. 5 .. 1 .. .. 1 j 7 Toolsmitlis .. .. I Marine .. .. 4 4 Farm hands .. .. 23 10 49 9 .. 12 8 4 1 3 8 16 4 .. 1 7 14 169 Furniture trade employees 17 11 10 4 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 52 Gardeners .. .. 29 4 26 6.. 42 8.. .. 3 5.. .. 2.. 1 90 Grocers' assistants .. 9 5 7 8..1 2 1 1 1 35 Hairdressers' assistants .. 6 3 1 .. .. ] 1 1 .. .. 12 Factory workers .. 3 2 .. 1 6 Hotel workers and cooks.. 34 811 6.. 1 1 1 2 7 1 72 Labourers .. ..864 424442 295 133 166 62 235 53 141 180 62 83 40 95 55 121 3,451 Leadlight workers .. •• •• 1 1 1 3 Married couples .. 1 1 Mechanics .. .. •• 4 2 2 8 Gramophone .. .. Cycle and motor .. 13 7 15 7.. 1 4 1 4 1 .... 2 1 56 Piano.. .. .. i 1 • - Radio .. .. Dental .. .. • • 1 • • 1 i Message-boys .. .. 3 1 | 4 Metal-workers .. .. 4 5 5 6 ] 1 .. .. 21 Miners .. .. 1 9 8 6 6 4 .. 3 37 Moulders (iron and brass) •• 3 6 1 2 .. 2 1 15 Painters and glaziers .. 46 16 13 11 .. 3 .. .. 1 5 81 .. .. 2 .. 1 107 Patternmakers .. Plasterers .. .. •• 4 2 2 l! 1 10 Plumbers .. .. 33 6 12 9 .. 1 1 .. 1 2 65 Printing trade employees 12 8 4 3 .. 2 .. .. 2 .. .. ] 31 Quarrymen .. .. 12 2 .. 5 .. .. .. 1 .. 1 21 Riggers .. .. 4 2 I 6 Saddlers .. .. 1 1 3 1 .. 2 14 Sailmakers .. .. Seamen and firemen .. 15 20 4 10 ... 3 1 1 1 .. 55 Shop-assistants and sales- 35 10 18 10 .. 2 4 4 1 1 2 4 91 men Stonemasons .. .. •• 1 2 3 6 Storemen and packers .. 48 31 13 14 .. 3 4 1 3 1 1 7 126 Tailoring trades employees 5 .. 2 2 .. . . 1 10 Timber-workers .. 19 4 5 .. .. 2 1 1 3 35 Tinsmiths .. .. 9 3 1 2 15 Umbrella-manufacturers 1 Warehousemen .. 2 1 1 1 5 Watchmakers and jewellers 3 2 .. 1 6 Timekeeper .. 1 1 Wheelwright .. 1 1 Wool-elasser .. .. .. 2 1 3 Glass-beveller .. .. 2 1 1 Tunneller .. .. •. 1 Other .. .. 13 39 94 9 .. 2 .. .. 5 6 5 .. 7 2 182 Unspecified .. .. 2 147 .. 18 34 201 Totals .. 1,713 847 987 721 147 286 130 296 73 204 271 105 107 54 124 70 240 6,377 Note.—Cards for Auckland and Masterton were made up to the 15th October instead of the 14th. The total unfilled applications on 14th October in these two districts were — Auckland, 1,614; Masterton, 93. The Dominion total on 14th October was 6,264.

H. —118.

TABLE 3.—UNEMPLOYED—AGE DISTRIBUTION. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th October, 1929, classified according to Age, Conjugal Condition, and Duration of Unemployment during the Past Six Months.

TABLE 4.—UNEMPLOYED—DEPENDENCY. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th October, 1929, classified according to Dependency, Conjugal condition, and Duration of Unemployment during the Past Six Months.

TABLE 5.—UNEMPLOYED—BIRTHPLACE AND LENGTH OF RESIDENCE. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th October, 1929, classified according to Length of Residence, Conjugal Condition, and Duration of Unemployment during the Past Six Months.

TABLE 6.—UNEMPLOYED.—FIT FOR HEAVY AND LIGHT WORK. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th October, 1929, classified according to Age and Fitness for Heavy or Light Work.

28

Single. Married. Age. Total. Unemployed Unemployed 6 Unemployed Unemployed 6 under 6 weeks, weeks and over, under 6 Weeks. Weeks and over. Under 25 .. .. .. .. 338 908 54 138 1,438 25 to 44 .. .. .. .. 234 727 389 1,266 2,616 45 to 64 .. .. .. .. 107 440 261 1,063 1.871 65 and over.. ...... 5 35 11 67 118 Unspecified .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 334 Totals .. .. .. 684 2,110 715 2,534 6,377

Single. Married. Number of Dependants. ~ Total. Unemployed Unemployed 6 Unemployed Unemployed 6 under 6 weeks, weeks and over, under 6 Weeks. Weeks and over. 0 .. .. .. .. .. 593 1,724 25 141 2,483 1 .. .. .. .. .. 50 179 160 604 993 2 .. .. .. .. .. 24 119 190 624 957 3 .. .. .. .. .. 11 35 i 152 531 729 4 .. .. .. .. .. 2 32 1 98 311 443 5 and over .. .. .. .. 4 21 90 323 438 Unspecified .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 334 Totals .. .. .. 684 2,110 1 715 2,534 6,377

Single. Married. Length of Residence. Total. Unemployed Unemployed 6 Unemployed Unemployed 6 under 6 weeks, weeks and over, under 6 Weeks. Weeks and over. New-Zealand-born .. .. .. 474 1,360 366 1,398 3,593 Under 6 months ...... 9 20 4 15 48 6 months, but under 12 .... 9 24 3 13 49 1 year, but under 2 years .... 8 25 9 20 62 2 years and over .. .. .. 184 681 333 1,093 2,291 Unspecified .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 334 Totals .. .. .. 684 2,110 715 2,534 6,377

Single. Married. Ages. I Total Fit for Heavy | Fit for Light Fit for Heavy Fit for Light Work, Work oniy. Work. Work only Under 25 .. .. 1,124 122 173 19 1,438 25 to 44 .. .. 774 187 1,377 278 2,616 45 „ 64 .. .. 424 123 964 360 1,871 65 and over .... 19 21 37 41 118 Unspecified .. .. .. j .. .. .. 334 Totals .. 2,341 J 453 2,551 698 6,377

H. —1 18.

TABLE 7.—UNEMPLOYED.—PERIOD ON UNEMPLOYED REGISTERS. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th October, 1929, classified according to Age and Period on Register.

TABLE 8.—UNEMPLOYED—DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT. Number on Unemployed Registers on 14th Octobers, 1929, classified according to Duration of Unemployment during the Six Months previous to Application, Conjugal Condition, and Age.

TABLE 9.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Period of Unemployment, during the Past Twelve Months, and Efficiency.

29

J I Single. Married. AgeS ' 1111(161 I and under 12 Months Under andun'der 12 Months | 3 Months, j 12 Months. and over. 3 Months. Months. and over. | Under 25 .. .. 1,043 143 60 140 39 13 1,438 25 to 44 .. .. 779 125 57 1,165 311 179 2,616 45 „ 64 .. .. 414 97 36 905 255 164 1,871 65 and over .... 31 7 2 57 10 11 118 Unspecified .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 334 Totals .. 2,267 372 155 2,267 615 367 6,377

(Note. —Where the duration has been given in months, a month has been taken as four weeks.) Single. Married. Duration ol Unemployment il( , during the Past Six I r .f^', Months. Under 25 25-44 45-64 65 and T . , Under 25 25-44 45-64 65 and „ , , lotal - Years. Years. Years. over. Years. Years. Years. over. 1 Under 2 weeks .. 67 37 20 2 126 7 84 62 4 157 283 2 to 4 weeks .. 94 63 17 .. 174 21 116 79 2 218 392 4 „ 6 „ .. 107 76 46 1 230 24 158 105 3 290 520 6 „ 8 „ .. 67 52 34 1 154 10 114 67 2 193 347 8 „ 10 „ .. 134 104 48 2 288 23 166 113 4 306 594 10 „ 12 „ .. 38 40 20 1 99 8 99 53 4 164 263 12 „ 14 „ .. 163 105 58 2 328 26 179 159 7 371 699 14 16 „ .. 55 53 27 2 137 7 126 77 .. 210 347 16 „ 18 „ .. 107 70 37 1 215 13 120 117 11 261 476 18 „ 20 „ .. 25 19 13 1 58 6 62 51 3 122 180 20 „ 22 „ .. 57 24 28 1 110 9 86 79 2 176 286 22 „ 24 „ .. 27 14 10 2 53 4 65 37 7 113 166 24 „ 26 „ .. 122 142 108 14 386 21 235 263 24 543 929 Unspecified .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 895 Totals .. 1,063 799 466 30 2,358 179 1,610 1,262 73 3,124 6,377

Investigator's Eeport as to Efficiency. Duration ol Unemployment during the Tntoi past Twelve Months. TTnpmnlnv Superior. Good. Fair. Indigent. Poor. able Under 6 weeks .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 .. 2 6 weeks but less than 10 weeks .... 4 3 1 1 .. 9 10 „ 14 „ .. 1 17 3 4 .. .. 25 14 „ 18 „ .. 4 1 1 .. .. 6 18 „ 24 „ .. 2 41 19 8 6 .. 76 24 „ 30 „ .. 1 41 25 9 4 ..80. 30 „ 36 „ .. .. 44 40 13 7 .. 104 36 „ 42 „ .. 33 33 11 5 2 84 42 „ 48 18 16 15 5 3 57 48 „ 52 1 1 2 .. .. 4 52 weeks .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 2 3 Not stated .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 .. .. 3 Totals .. .. 4 205 141 67 29 7 453

H. —11b.

TABLE 10.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Period of Unemployment, Age, and Conjugal Condition.

TABLE 11.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Occupation and Districts.

30

Single. Married. Total. Duration of Unemployment during Grand Paat Twelve Months. Under 25 _ u 45 _g 4 65 and Under L_ 44 45 _ g4 1 65 and Under 25 _ 44 45 _ g4 65 and Tota1 ' 25. 44,4I> over. | 25. r° over. 25. zt> 4& b4 ' over. UDder 6 weeks .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 1 X .. 2 6 weeks but under 10 weeks.. 2 1 3.. .. 3.. .. 2 4 3.. 9 10 „ 14 „ 5 1 1 .. 11 7 5 12 8 25 14 „ 18 „ .. 3 1 1 1 3 2 1 6 18 „ 24 „ .. 7 13 6 3 29 18 10 42 24 76 24 „ 30 „ .. 6 9 9.. 3 28 25 9 37 34 80 30 „ 36 „ 11 8 9 3 34 39 14 42 48 .. 104 36 „ 42 „ .. 9 5 4.. 1 26 35 4 10 31 39 4 84 42 „ 48 „ .. 6 2 3.. 1 17 24 4 7 19 27 4 57 48 „ 52 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 4 52 weeks .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 1 .. .. 1 2 3 Not stated .. .. 2 1 .. .. .. 2 1 .. .. 3 Totals .. .. 51 42 36 2 11 150 151 10 62 192 187 12 453

Occupation. Auckland, j Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin. Total. >$£ I ~ ' j i * j Bakers and pastrycooks .. .. .. .. .. I .. 1 Blacksmiths .. . . .. .. 2 .. 2 ! 4 Boilermakers .. .. .. .. ., 1 .. 1 2 Boor operatives .. .. .. .. . . .. i .. 1 Bricklayers .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. 2 Butchers .. .. .. .. 2 .. 1 1 4 Caretakers and liftmen .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Carpenters .. .. .. .. 7 3 2 .. 12 Clerks .. .. .. .. .. 4 .. 2 .. 6 Coach-workers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. ] Curriers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 Motor-drivers .. .. .. .. 11 2 6 2 21 Electrical workers .. .. .. .. 3 1 .. .. 4 Engine-drivers .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. 2 Fitters and turners .. .. .. 2 3 2 .. 7 Farm hands .. .. .. .. 5 4 5 .. 14 Furniture trades .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 Gardeners .. .. .. .. 2 1 6 .. 9 Grocers' assistants.. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Hairdressers' assistants .. .. .. 1 ] . . .. 2 Factory workers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 Hotel workers ........ 2 ] 4 1 8 Labourers .. .. .. ..121 51 114 13 299 Cycle and motor mechanics.. .. .. 3 .. .. .. 3 Metal workers .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Miners .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. 2 Painters .. .. .. .. .. 4 1 .. .. 5 Plasterers .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 2 Plumbers .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 1 3 Printing trades .. .. .. .. 2 .. 2 .. 4 Quarrymen .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Saddlers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 2 Seamen and firemen .. .. .. .. 4 .. 2 6 Shop-assistants .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 2 Storemen and packers .. .. .. 3 1 2 .. 6 Tailoring trades .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Timber-workers .. .. .. .. 3 .. .. .. 3 Tinsmiths .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. 2 Horse-drivers .. .. .. .. 5 .. .. .. 5 Other .. .. .. ■. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Totals .. .. .. 190 81 160 22 453

H.—ll'B.

TABLE 12.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to the Duration of Unemployment during the Past Twelve Months, and Districts.

TABLE 13.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Occupation and Number of Total Dependants.

31

Duration of Unemployment during Past Twelve Auckland . Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin. Total. Under 6 weeks .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. 2 6 weeks but less than 10 weeks .... 1 4 2 2 9 10 „ 14 „ 4 10 8 3 25 14 „ 18 „ 1 5 .. .. 6 18 „ 24 „ .. .. 22 22 27 5 76 24 „ 30 „ .. .. 26 13 40 1 80 30 „ 36 „ .. .. 44 12 41 7 104 36 „ 42 „ 47 9 25 3 84 42 „ 48 „ .... 40 3 14 .. 57 48 „ 52 „ 4 .. .. .. 4 52 weeks .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 3 Not stated .. .. .. .. .. 2 1 .. 3 Totals .. .. .. .. 190 81 160 22 453

Number of Total Dependants. Occupation. Total. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5/over. Bakers and pastrycooks .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 Blacksmiths .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 1 .. 4 Boilermakers .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 2 Boot operatives .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Bricklayers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. 2 Butchers .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 1 .. .. .. 4 Caretakers and liftmen .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Carpenters .. .. .. .. .. 3 2 3 2 1 1 12 Clerks .. .. .. .. .. 2 1 2 .. .. 1 6 Coach-workers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Curriers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Motor-drivers .. .. .. .. 6 2 2 2 5 4 21 Electrical workers .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 .. .. .. 4 Engine-drivers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 2 Fitters and turners ... .. .. .. 3 1 2 1 .. .. 7 Farm hands .. .. .. .. 8 3 1 1 1 .. 14 Furniture trades .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Gardeners .. .. .. .. .. 2 3 1 2 1 .. 9 Grocers' Assistants .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Hairdressers' assistants .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. 2 Factory workers .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Hotel workers .. .. .. .. 4 1 2 1 .. .. 8 Labourers .. .. .. .. 57 52 62 48 40 40 299 Cycle and motor mechanics .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. 1 3 Metal-workers .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. ] Miners .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 2 Painters .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 1 1 5 Plasterers .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 2 Plumbers .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 1 .. .. 3 Printing trades .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 1 1 4 Quarrymen .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Saddlers .... .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 2 Seamen and firemen .. .. .. .. 5 .. .. 1 .. .. 6 Shop-assistants .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 2 Storemen and packers .. .. .... 1 1 2 .. 2 6 Tailoring trades .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Timber-workers .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 1 .. 3 Tinsmiths .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. 2 Horse-drivers .. .. .. .... 1 1 1 1 1 5 Other .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Totals .. .. .. ..107 76 92 71 54 53 453

H.—llB.

TABLE 14.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Occupation and Birthplace.

TABLE 15.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over: Present Occupations and Occupations when leaving School of Applicants under Twenty-five Years of Age.

32

Birthplace. Occupation. Other Total. Zealand. Australia. England.: Wales. Scotland. Ireland. fetish sions. Bakers and pastrycooks .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Blacksmiths .. .. 3 .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 4 Boilermakers .. .. X .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 2 Boot operatives .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Bricklayers .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Butchers .. .. .. 1 2 .. 1 .. .. .. 4 Caretakers and liftmen .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Carpenters .. .. .. 3 1 5 .. 1 2 .. .. 12 Clerks .. .. .. 2 .. 2 .. 2 .. .. .. 6 Coach-workers .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Curriers .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Motor-drivers .. 15 4 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 21 Electrical workers .. .. 1 .. 3 .. .. .. .. .. 4 Engine-drivers .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Fitters and turners .. .. 2 .. 5 .. .. .. .. .. 7 Farm hands .. 10 .. 2 .. 1 1 .. .. 14 Furniture trades .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Gardeners .. .. .. 3 1 4 .. .. 1 .. .. 9 Grocers' assistants .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Hairdressers' assistants .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Factory workers .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Hotel workers .. .. G .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 8 Labourers .. .. .. 164 18 82 3 16 7 4 5 299 Cycle and motor mechanics .. 1 I .. .. .. .. 1 3 Metal-workers .. .. 1 .. . . .. . . .. .... 1 Miners .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 .. 2 Painters .. .. .. 2 1 1 .. .. .. .. I 5 Plasterers .. .. .. 1 I .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Plumbers .. .. .. 2 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 3 Printing trades .. .. 3 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 4 Quarrymen .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 Saddlers .. .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Seamen and firemen .. .. .. .. 3 .. 3 .. .. .. 6 Shop-assistants .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Storemen and packers .. 4 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 6 Tailoring trades .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Timber-workers .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 Tinsmiths .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Horse-drivers .. .. 3 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 5 Other .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 Totals .. 243 27 125 3 27 15 5 8 453

Occupation when leaving School. Present Occupation. o += o ■ t»» . • 5 . ■ < OT - 8 § . Total. o5 Si s-S fl-S J2 Sg § I S| s| 1& s§ |l .§1 I || J %S I fl| 1 2 s h w ®i o w -a ■§ u ° o O a o Blacksmiths .. .. .. .. 1 1 Butchers .. .. .. 2 : j 2 Carpenters .. .. 1 ! 1 Clerks .. .. .. .. .. I 1 Motor-drivers .. .. .. .. 2 1 1 1 .. 1 2 8 Farm hands .. .. .. 1 2 1 .. .. 1 .. 2 7 Grocers' assistants .. .. .. 1 1 Hotel workers .. .. 1 1 2 Labourers .. .. 1 2 7 7 3 2 1 2 .... I 5 31 Plasterers .. .. 1 ! 1 Plumbers .. .. .. 1 I 1 Printing trades .. .. j 1 1 Seamen .. .. .. 1 1 Storemen and packers .. .. 1 1 Tailoring .. .. .. .. 1 1' 2 Tinsmiths .. .. .. .. 1 1 Totals .. .. 6 11 10 9 5 3 j 2 2 .. 1 j 2 11 62

H. —118.

TABLE 16.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over: Age at leaving School and Schooling of Applicants under Twenty-five Years of Age.

TABLE 17.—UNEMPLOYED. Applicants on the Unemployed Registers for Twelve Months or over, classified according to Special Circumstances mitigating against Employment and Efficiency.

5—H. 11b.

33

Pr 5Se?of 8 Ye°arS' 1 T-hnical : Years at Technical Age at leaving School. Secondary School. Total . One Year. ' Total. One Year. Two Years.} Years Four Years. 1 Total. " I . | | 10 .. .. I .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 1 11 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 . . . . 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 13 .. .. J 8 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 14 .. 38 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 39 15 .. 6 2 2 .. 1 .. .. 1 9 16 .. 3 .. . . .. .. .. 1 1 4 Totals 57 2 2 1 1 .. 1 3 62

Note.—Where two or more of these circumstances affect the same man this man will be included in this table more than once, so that the totals at the foot of the table do not represent the sum of the figures in the body of the table. Investigator's Report as to Efficiency. Special Circumstances. j j > j Total. Superior. Good. | Fair. | Indifferent. ! Poor. 0^" . Insobriety .. .. .. .. 2 5 14 j 8 .. 29 Immobility due to— Illness of dependants .. .... 50 24 4 2 1 81 Number of dependants .. 2 17 11 3 1 .. 34 Home finance .. .. .. 2 2 .. .. .. 4 Other causes.. .. .. .. 1 3 2 .. 6 Lack of industry .. .... 1 2 10 3 .. 16 Disgruntled nature .. .. .. .. 2 5 2 .. 9 Unsteady .. .. .... 6 18 11 4 1 40 Roving disposition .. .... 1 5 5 1 .. 12 Age .. .. .. .. .. 7 13 11 3 4 38 Physical disability ...... 5 6 5 9 1 26 Support of family .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 Undesirable character General health .. .. .. .. 8 17 10 8 3 46 General inefficiency .. .. .. .. 1 .. 3 1 5 Total number of individual men to 2 92 93 55 27 7 276 whom these circumstances apply No special circumstances .. 2 113 48 12 2 .. 177 Totals .. .. 4 205 141 67 29 7 453 j

H.—IIB.

TABLE XVIII.—SUMMARY OF REPLIES TO UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE'S INQUIRY RE COST OF RELIEF WORKS.

34

lb) <c) (a) Total Amount of Coat of Overhead Percentage Percentage Local Body. Year. Total Cost of Wages paid to Relief and other Charges (&) represents (c) represents Relief Works. Workers in each (Materials, &c.) of (a). of (a). Year. in each Year. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Public Works Department .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 130.000 0 0 101,441 0 0 28,559 0 0 78-03 21-97 1/4/27-31/3/28 379,565 0 0 281,392 0 0 98,173 0 0 74-14 25-86 1/4/28-31/3/29 680,393 0 0 495,849 0 0 184,544 0 0 72-87 27-12 State Forest Service .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 14,240 0 0 11,230 0 0 3,010 0 6 78-86 21-14 1/4/27-31/3/28 27,550 0 0 20,780 0 0 6,770 0 0 75-43 24-57 1/4/28-31/3/29 50,250 0 0 38,350 0 0 11,900 0 0 76-31 23-89 Lands and Survey Department .. 1/4/28-31/3/29 3,500 0 0 2,617 6 11 882 13 1 74-77 25-23 Auckland City Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 61,299 5 8 26.956 3 11 34,343 1 9 43-97 56-03 1/4/27-31/3/28 63,099 17 6 37,912 17 1 25,187 0 5 60-08 39-92 1/4/28-31/3/29 28,523 14 7 18,998 5 4 9,525 9 3 66-65 33-35 Wellington City Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 11,937 18 4 10,150 9 7 1,787 8 9 85-03 14-97 1/4/27-31/3/28 76,300 19 4 49,877 16 10 26,423 2 6 65-37 34-63 1/4/28-31/3/29 48,923 14 3 39,760 11 3 9,163 3 0 81-29 18-71 Christchurch City Council.. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 6,704 6 6 6,216 2 1 488 4 5 92-72 7-28 1/4/27-31/3/28 39,801 10 11 22,297 1 6 17,504 9 5 56-02 43-98 1/4/28-31/3/29 25,303 18 1 12,972 3 9 12,331 14 4 51-27 48-73 Dunedin City Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 3,175 13 11 2,672 6 4 503 7 7 84-15 15-85 1/4/27-31/3/28 9,750 19 10 8,005 18 6 1,745 1 4 82-11 17-89 1/4/28-31/3/29 8.492 1 2 6,595 6 5 1,896 14 9 77-66 22-34 Whangarei Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 2,934 12 7 1,535 10 11 1,399 1 8 52-32 47-68 1/4/27-31/3/28 1,805 0 7 1,309 5 8 495 14 11 72-52 27-48 1/4/28-31/3/29 Ml Nil Nil Onehunga Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 5,033 19 1 3,268 15 1 1,765 4 0 64-93 35-07 1/4/27-31/3/28 1,029 1 6 267 0 9 762 0 9 25-94 74-06 1/4/28-31/3/29 3,470 17 3 1,872 13 6 1,598 3 9 53-94 46-06 Mount Eden Borough Council .. 1/7/26-30/6/27 7,378 3 10 4,454 7 9 2,923 16 1 60-37 i 39-63 1/7/27-30/6/28 6,597 17 1 3,165 10 7 3,432 6 6 47-98 ! 52-02 1/7/28-30/6/29 1,974 19 9 1,702 3 6 272 16 3 86-22 13-77 Newmarket Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 1,676 15 2 1,503 11 2 173 4 0 89-68 10-32 1/4/27-31/3/28 3,007 14 9 2,016 8 6 991 6 3 67-04 i 32-96 1/4/28-31/3/29 1,573 7 11 1,029 6 7 544 1 4 65-42 j 34-58 Hamilton Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 1,119 14 6 697 9 3 422 5 3 62-30 1 37-70 1/4/27-31/3/28 4,555 0 3 3,433 0 3 1,122 0 0 75-37 ' 24-63 1/4/28-31/3/29 4,125 9 7 3,750 14 1 374 15 6 90-91 9-09 Gisborne Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 Nil Nil Nil 1/4/27-31/3/28 4,429 8 7 2,867 0 5 1,562 8 2 64-79 35-21 1/4/28-31/3/29 4,435 19 3 2,336 9 11 2,099 9 4 52-67 47-33 Napier Borough Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 Nil Nil Nil 1/4/27-31/3/28 5,451 9 10 3,325 2 10 2,126 7 0 60-99 j 39-01 1/4/28-31/3/29 6,675 10 8 5,180 5 6 1,495 5 2 77-60 1 22*40 New Plymouth Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 Nil Nil Nil .. j 1/4/27-31/3/28 3,430 18 6 3,022 12 5 408 6 1 88-11 11-89 1/4/28-31/3/29 5,599 6 1 2,713 14 7 2,885 11 6 48-45 51-55 Wanganui City Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 5,121 13 11 2,572 19 8 2,548 14 3 50-23 49-77 1/4/27-31/3/28 14,323 17 10 8,669 18 1 5,653 19 9 60-52 39-48 1/4/28-31/3/29 13,783 6 0 5,829 16 1 7,953 9 11 42-30 57-70 Palmerston North Borough Council 1/4/26-31/3/27 2,338 9 3 730 13 11 1,607 15 4 31-22 68-78 1/4/27-31/3/28 5,112 18 11 3,520 2 5 1,592 16 6 68-85 31-15 1/4/28-31/3/29 2,554 5 0 1,978 2 3 576 2 9 77-45 22-55 Lower Hutt Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 780 9 5 593 12 3 186 17 2 76-03 23-97 1/4/27-31/3/28 10,119 4 1 6,140 12 8 3,978 11 5 60-68 39-32 1/4/28-31/3/29 11,487 14 0 6,052 5 4 5,435 8 8 52-69 47-31 Nelson City Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 Nil Nil Nil 1/4/27-31/3/28 3,713 8 8 2,264 0 3 1,449 8 5 60-98 39-02 1/4/28-31/3/29 1,061 13 9 942 11 8 119 2 1 88-80 11-20 Timaru Borough Council .. .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 434 11 3 434 11 3 Nil 100-00 1/4/27-31/3/28 2,132 19 11 1,800 18 3 332 1 8 84-43 15-57 1/4/28-31/3/29 6,492 12 9 2,984 14 3 3,507 18 6 45-96 54-04 Invercargill Borough Council .. 1/4/26-31/3/27 2,157 15 10 1,091 10 4 1,066 5 6 50-58 49-42 1/4/27-31/3/28 11,523 2 1 7,212 16 6 4,310 5 7 62-60 37-40 1/4/28-31/3/29 6,784 15 8 5,429 16 2 1,354 19 6 80-42 19-58 Totals .. .. .. .. 1,845,040 5 2 1,301,774 14 1 543,265 11 1 70-56 29-44 I

H.—llB.

TABLE XIX.—NUMBER OF WORKERS EMPLOYED ON RELIEF WORKS, ETC.

35

Number of Workers employed each Month on Relief Works. Average Number Department or Local Body. Year. ; j > of Men April.| May. June. | July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. j Jan. Feb. Mar. p^^th _ Public Works Depart- 1926-27 .. 74 346 772 950 8701,0951,160 841 415 461 732! 643-0 ment 1927-28 1,179 1,645 1,7902,1862,526 2,526 2,371 2,133 1,798 1,477 1,463 1,846! 1911-5 1928-29 2,1962,4112,8363,225'3,3763,491 3,5193,4353,1072,8232,9952,748 3013-5 State Forest Service .. 1926-27 .. 50 98 137 158 164 128 61-2 1927-28 .. 60 120 320 460 480 140 131-6 1928-29 . . 340 630 720! 740 880 530 320-0 Lands and Survey Of- 1928-29 35 34 42 34 28 16 8 8 .. 17-1 partment Auckland City Council.. 1926-27 .. .. 6 62 125 140 142 138 140 140 140 139 97-7 1927-28 138 19 95 118 100 213 871 1,003 994 582 544 676 446-8 1928-29 487 467 514 425 566 321 219 254 445 538 410 494 428-3 Wellington City Council 1926-27 .. .. 25 144 181 131 132 109 66 44 13 43 74-0 1927-28 46 59 142 396 573 595 612 428 270 172 94 11 283-1 1928-29 10 .. 158 3191 316 293 266 202 241 298 230 119 204-3 Christehurch City Council 1926-27 .. .. 13 110 66 63 25 12 23 31 .. .. 28-6 1927-28 .. 131 254 504 583 681 217 64 121 67 68 71 230-0 1928-29 Ij 22 105 120 264 132 72 78 220 54 6 8 90-1 Dunedin City Council .. 1926-27 .. i .. .. 58 73 76 68 49 6 26-6 1927-28 .. .. 95 115 128 139 139 104 10 60-8 1928-29 6 2 58. 67 78 63 45 38 23 77 65 49 47-6 Whangarei Borough 1926-27 26 37 18 91 19 6 1 15 10-9 Council 1927-28 .. 2 7 28 .. 39 44| 26 3 1 .. .. 12-5 1928-29 : Onehunga Borough Coun- 1926-27 .. .. .. 51 50 48 41; 27 6 9 25 15, 22-6 oil ' 1927-28 7 5 5| .. 1 1 1 . . 1-6 1928-29 13 6 79, 92 35 34 3 19 23-4 Mount Eden Borough 1926-27 .. .. .. ! .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25-0 Council 1927-28 ■ ; 16-0 1928-29 : 16-0 Newmarket Borough 1926-27 20 21 18; 17 14 11 12 12 10-4 Council 1927-28 10 11 7 7 7 9 26 28 24 22 10 6 13-9 1928-29 5 8 8 8 9 7 .. 5 4 4-5 Hamilton Borough 1926-27 . . .. . . ! 70-0 Council 1927-28 .. 80-0 1928-29 .. .. .. i 80-0 Gisborne Borough Coun- 1926-27 .. . . .. . . .. .. .. cil 1927-28 .. .. 15 27 45 39 23 28 20 16-4 1928-29 .. .. 6 10 22 37 29 26 12 7; .. .. 12-4 Napier Borough Council 1926-27 .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 1927-28 .. .. ; .. . . 60 67 43 53 .. .... .. 18-6 1928-29 .. .. 42 49 88 86 36 39 .. .. j .. .. 28-3 New Plymouth Borough 1926-27 Council 1927-28 .. .. 1 .. .. 921 100 75 34 9 8 .. 75 32-7 1928-29 78 51; 32 30 46; 31 15 4 24-0 Wanganui City Council 1926-27 .. .. .. 7 37 26 18 13 22 4 .. .. 10-6 1927-28 .. .. 31 55 100 72 33 26 13 3 .. 2 28-0 1928-29 .. 3 3 28 75 1 18 4 1 3 1 .. 4 11-6 Palmerston North Bo- 1926-27 ! 7 6 14 7 6 8 3 4-2 rough Council 1927-28 .. .. 2 2 43; 56 43 30 17 10 8 12 18-6 1928-29 5 5 6 11 16 27 26 24 15 3 4 4 12 1 Lower Hutt Borough 1926-27 1 Council 1927-28 1928-29 1 .. .. j Nelson City Council .. 1926-27 ! ; .. 1927-28 ! .. .. ! 1928-29 ; Timara Borough Council 1926-27 .. .. .10 10 18 24 20 6-8 1927-28 37 136 114 87 31-1 1928-29 .. .. 43 80 96 99 63 46 33 26 9 8 41-9 Invercargill B o r o u.g h 1926-27 15-0 Council 1927-28 j 41-0 1928-29 j 27-0

H.—llB

TABLE XX.—MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM NUMBER EMPLOYED, ETC.

Approximate Cost of Paper. —Preparation, not given ; printing (000 copies), £47 10s.

Authority : W A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—-1930.

Price Is.]

36

Maximum Minimum Number Number Local Body or Department. Year. employed in employed in Nature of Relief Work provided. Remarks. any One any One Month. Month. Public Works Department 1926-27 1,160 74 Construction of new roads, including 1927-28 2,526 1,179 main highways, and on improving 1928-29 3,519 2,196 existing roads and main highways. State Forest Service .. 1926-27 164 50 Tree-planting, line-cutting, &c. 1927-28 480 60 1928-29 880 340 Lands and Survey Depart- 1928-29 42 8 Flax-planting, scrub and blackberry No relief work prior to 1928-29. ment cutting, draining swamp lands Auckland City Council .. 1926-27 142 6 Formation and improvements of 1927-28 1,003 19 various recreation and sports 1928-29 566 219 grounds. Wellington City Council.. 1926-27 181 13 Gorse-grubbing, tree-planting, level- Work of both light and heavy 1927-28 612 11 ling sandhills, road-formation; nature provided for unskilled 1928-29 319 10 general improvements to streets, workers. reserves, parks Christchurch City Council 1926-27 110 12 Cleaning and planting reserves, form - 1927-28 681 64 ing pool in park, regrading, street 1928-29 264 1 improvements, grubbing noxious weeds, kerbing, channelling, planting reserves, grading river-banks and forming playgrounds. Dunedin City Council .. 1926-27 76 6 Removing banks to widen streets, 1927-28 139 10 cutting deviations, tree-planting on 1928-29 78 2 reserves, top-dressing and improving reserves. Whangarei Borough Coun- 1926-27 37 1 Road and footpath formation. In No records kept of number of cil 1927-28 44 1 addition contracts for sewer con- men engaged on sewer-con-1928-29 .. .. struction were let, preference being struction in 1928-29. given to unemployed Onehunga Borough Council 1926-27 51 6 Roadwork and forming recreation 1927-28 5 1 reserve. 1928-29 92 3 Mount Eden Borough 1926-27 .. .. Excavation and formation work at In 1926-27 and 1927-28 conCouncil 1927-28 .. .. Nicholson Park and Mount Eden tracts for £1,686 17s. 4d. and 1928-29 .. .. Domain, and contracts for road- £2,904 17s. 6d. were let reformation and sewerage spectively, of which 70 per cent, in each year represented wages. Newmarket Borough Coun- 1926-27 21 11 Clearing and laying out area for cil 1927- 28 28 6 children's playground; excavating 1928-29 9 4 and levelling footways and roadways in certain streets. Hamilton Borough Council 1926-27 .. .. Forming footpaths, roads, and cut- Town Clerk unable to supply 1927-28 .. .. ting noxious weeds figures (maximum and mini-1928-29 .. .. mum) of men employed. Gisborne Borough Council 1926-27 .. .. Forming footpaths and roads; laying 1927-28 45 15 out reserves; tree-planting and 1928-29 37 6 putting in drains. Napier Borough Council.. 1926-27 .. .. Street improvements—kerbing, chan-1927-28 67 43 nelling, and slabmaking. 1928-29 88 36 New Plymouth Borough 1926-27 .. .. Footpath and street improvements ; Increase in cost of overhead Council 1927-28 100 8 forming and improving reserves charges, &c'., in 1928-29 was 1928-29 78 4 due to most of work undertaken being street improvements for which horses and lorries were required. In previous year 68 per cent, of the total cost was absorbed in wages paid for improving High School grounds and ; another 20 per cent, in wages for other classes of work. Wanganui Borough Council | 1926-27 37 4 1927-28 100 2 Principally road-construction. j 1928-29 75 1 Palmerston North Borough | 1926-27 14 3 Road-construction, resurfacing, layCouncil 1927-28 56 2 ing out Botanical Gardens and 1928-29 27 3 Park, gorse-grubbing, and watermain extensions. Lower Hutt Borough Coun- 1926-27 .. .. Footpath-formation, kerbing, and Town Clerk unable to supply cil 1927-28 .. .. channelling, and drainage-works number of men engaged in 1928-29 .. .. each month. Nelson City Council .. 1926-27 . . ... Road-construction and improve- Town Clerk unable to supply ! 1927-28 .. .. ments to Rocks Road Cliff; quarry- number of men employed, as | 1928-29 .. .. ing work was done by co-opera-tive gangs and leader paid , men in each case. Timaru Borough Council 1926-27 24 ! 10 Clearing gorse, forming tennis-courts, 1927-28 136 37 cleaning river, street - widening, 1928-29 99 8 footpath - construction, erecting baths, draining, reserve, roading. Invercargill Borough Coun- 1926-27 .. .. Street improvements, water and Information re maximum and cil 1927-28 .. .. sewerage reticulation, cleaning i minimum number of men 1928-29 .. .. water-mains j employed not available.