H.—ll
V
The following table shows the most important industries ranged in order of the amount of wages paid during 1907-8, compared with wages totals for 1906-7. As will be noticed, the total increase in wages of £487,982 is contributed to by almost every trade in operation. In most industries the increase is very substantial, whilst in all the others shown the figures indicate a very satisfactory progress.
The large increase of 316 per cent, in wages paid in the flax-milling trade is no doubt due to the high price obtained for btmp during part <>f the period under review, combined with the opportunities for constant working afforded by the generally good weal tar-eoaditiana. The recent drop in the price of fibre will probably have the effect of considerably reAaeiog the number of mills to be registered during the coming year. In the food trades steady progress in meat-freezing, bread, biscuit, and confectionery making, and in the milk-products industries is shown by the increase in wages paid of 12-1 per cent. It is also worthy of note that the further introductions of gasworks and electrical works for generation and distribution of power, light, and heating have been the means of an increase in wages paid of £12,794, or 11-6 per cent. Most of the other trades show a healthy increase of about the average percentage (101), which the total increase for the Dominion of £487,982 represents. A diagram illustrating the relative importance of each industry by total wages paid forms part of the appendix to this report. Overtime worked in Factories. In each of the chief centres of population there has been a grave increase in the hours of overtime worked. In no annual period previously recorded has the sum of such overtime reached the limit of this year's excess over working-hours. In the Cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin 733,018 hours have thue been added to the normal time of employment. Some of the increases will'be noted as almost phenomenal; for instance, the men in Dunedin, who the previous year worked 107,565 hours of overtime, have during this last year nearly doubled that amount in their record of 194,804 hours. It is difficult to understand the main cause of this increase unless we grant that there must have been a very great acceleration and accumulation of business, combined with a shortage of workers. Overtime-work, especially for women* is an almost unmixed evil as regards the workers themselves, even when tempered by consideration of the extra wages earned, but such operations certainly show a state of industrial prosperity hitherto unprecedented.
Claaa. — Increase. Percentage . 1907-8. 1906-7. Wages paid during the Years 1907-8. 1906-7. Increase. Increase Percentage. ■I*™.—v. mw~*m •• £ £ 1.015.700 906,163 935,336 853,021 896,057 828,425 781,372 698,614 325,746 315,904 303.25:'. 294,454 - 199,189 151.313 187,532 170,741 136,526 133,564 123,016 110,222 65,522 64,616 61,727 56,061 '42,892 39,679 16,164 14,360 15,879 13,822 213,108 180,078 £ 109,537 82,315 67,632 82,758 9,842 8,799 47,876 16,791 2,962 12,794 906 5,666 3,213 1,804 2,057 33,030 12-1 9-6 8-2 11-8 3-1 30 31-6 9-8 2-2 11-6 1-4 10-0 8-3 12-5 14-9 18-3 £ £ £ Food trades .. •■ 1,015,700 906,163 109,537 12-1 Woodworking trades 935,336 853,021 82,315 9-6 Iron and metal trades 896,057 828,425 67,632 8-2 Clothing trades 781,372 698,614 82,758 11-8 Printing and stationery trades .. 325,746 315,904 9,842 3-1 Leather-working trades .. 303,253 294,454 8,799 3-0 Flax and fibre trades - 199,189 151.313 47,876 31-6 Stone, elay, and mineral trades 187,532 170,741 16,791 9-8 Fellmongering trades 136,526 133,564 2,962 2-2 Light, heat, and power trades 123,016 110,222 12,794 11-6 Chemical and by-product trades . - 65,522 64,616 906 1-4 Ship building and repairing trades .. 61,727 56,061 5,666 10-0 Watch and jewellery trades.. .. 42,892 39,679 3,213 8-3 Paper and cardboard trades i. ; 16,164 14,360 1,804 12-5 Basket and wicker trade trades .. 15,879 13,822 2,057 14-9 Miscellaneous trades not included above .. 213,108 180,078 33,030 18-3 Totals I 5,319,019 4,831,037 487,982 10-1 Note. The percentage of increase shown above does not imply that there was inorease in the rate of wage paid to the individual worker, but only that (generally to the greater number of workers) an increased percentage on the total amount of wages was disbursed.