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Such desires are deserving of encouragement, as the products of even an acre of land would often save a worker from the hardships of unemployment.* In any event, however, greater use could, with benefit to both employers and workers, be made of the existing bureaux which are carried on by the Department (without charge to either party), in its fifteen principal and 170 sub-agencies throughout New Zealand. The impression still obtains that the bureaux exist merely for the employment of unskilled labourers and artisans, such as carpenters, bricklayers, Arc. There is no ground for this impression, as practical assistance is frequently rendered to the unemployed clerk and to men trained in highly skilled trades. Frequently these latter workers find themselves in a much more serious and critical condition than labourers. Persons assisted by the Men's Bureaus : Statistical. Since the establishment of the Department in LB9l the following have received practical assistance :—

The above figures show that over a hundred thousand men have been direotly assisted (of whom many were assisted several times in a year); this represents an average of nearly five thousand per annum. These persons, together with their dependents, number considerably over a quarter of a million. The total number of men assisted during the past year shows a decrease of 2(Ki over 1912-13.t (For further particulars of the persona assisted by the Department's bureaux, shown in tiades, &p., see page 82.) The following is a statement as to expenditure and refunds for fares of persons assisted to employment during the last five years : —

It will be seen that of the total amount repayable by the workers the very high percentage of 96 per cent, was refunded.

* For further remarks on workers' dwellings see p. 26. t For number assisted by Women's Bureaux see pp. 28 and 40. j These amounts represent not the particular fares issued to workers during the year, but the fares for which accounts were rendered and paid by the Department during that period. § Rebate of 25 per cent, formerly allowed by Railway Department, paid by this Department as from the Ist July 1912. J

Yoar. Total. M irried. Single. Dependants. Private Work. Government Work. 1891-92 1892-93 T893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 ... 1900-1 1901-2 1902-3 1903-4 1904-5 1905-6 1906-7 1907-8 1908-9 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 Totals ... 2,593 ... 3,874 ... 3,341 ... 3,030 ... 2,871 ... 1,718 ... 2,035 ... 2,115 ... 2,147 ... 3,124 ... 1,830 ... 3,704 ... 2,860 ... 3,130 ... 6,712 7,393 ... 6,305 ... 10,391 ... 8,506 7,102 ... 5,735 ... 5,848 5,645 ... 102,009 1,054 1,808 1,836 2,007 1,880 1,084 1,163 1,178 1,115 1,326 713 1,492 777 953 2,027 1,427 1,440 2,538 2,987 2,181 1,407 1,639 1,497 1,539 2,066 1,505 1,023 991 634 872 937 1,032 1,798 1,117 2,212 2,083 2,177 4,685 5,966 4,865 7,853 5,519 4,921 4,328 4,209 4,148 4,729 7,802 7,942 8,883 8,424 4,719 4,928 4,759 4,471 5,432 2,747 5,934 3,085 3,425 7,351 4,187 4,408 7,510 10,164 8,454 4,233 5,122 4,295 1,730 2,518 1,019 894 708 652 544 638 486 519 396 580 1,216 1,960 1,929 2,718 2,977 4,190 5,059 4,251 3,450 3,705 3,505 863 1,356 2,322 2,136 2,163 1,066 1,491 1,477 1,661 2,605 1,434 3,124 1,644 1,170 4,783 4,675 3,328 6,201 3,447 2,851 2,285 2,143 2,140 35,529 66,480 133,004 45,644 56,365

Year. Expenditure for Fares.J Amount repayable by Workers. J Amount repaid. 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 £ 2,492 2,496 2,060 2,267 1,991 £ 2,492 2,496 2,060 1,921§ 1,515§ £ 2,151 2,316 1,992 1,842 1,779 Totals .. 11,306 10,484 10,080 = 96 per cent.