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1920. NE W Z E ALAN D.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both House* of the General Assembly by Command of Ills Excellency.

X B PO RT. The Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Minister of Labour. Sir,--- Department of Labour, Wellington, 30th June, 1920. 1 have the honour to present herewith the twenty-ninth annual report of this Department, for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to be laid before Parliament, in compliance with the Labour Department and Labour Day Act, 1908, and the Factories Act, 1908. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1919, to 31st March, 1920. Owing to the acute shortage of paper and to the pressure of important work, the report has been made as brief as possible I have, &c, F. W. Rowley, The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Secretary of Labour. Conditions of Trade and Employment. The reports from branches generally indicate that almost without exception the demand for labour has exceeded the supply. A return compiled in November last from information obtained from the occupiers of factories in the, various trades, in fact, revealed a considerable, shortage of labour in many of the Dominion's manufacturing industries, and that quite a number of machines have been idle —viz., woollen-milling, clothing and boot manufacturing (all branches), motor and general engineering, the various building trades, sawmiUing, furniture-making, and fruit and confectionerymaking. Men's Employment Bureaux. Number of engagements, 4,205, with 2,709 dependants; 1,638 were sent to private employment and 2,567 to Government works. Women's Employment Bureaux. —Number of engagements: Auckland, 401 ; Wellington, 421 ; Christohuroh, 303; Dtinedin, 242; Nelson, 39: total, 1,406. The number is Mo less than for the previous twelve months, which in turn showed a decrease of I 10 on the preceding year's figures. During the year two ladies representing the Imperial Government visited bhe Dominion for the purpose i f making inquiries as to the opportunities for women workers hen , particularly war workers who have had experience as institutional cooks, housekeepers, &C. Every assistance was given them, and it is hoped that before long a considerable number of domestic workers will come to New Zealand. Seeing, however, that there, is also an acute shortage of Ihese workers in England and elsewhere, it would be well if those persons in the Dominion thai need assistance in their domestic work would look to the possibilities of overcoming the difficulty by the. establishment of communal kitchens and laundries, and by introducing into their houses every possible labour-saving device. This has been urged, and some examples relating to Ihese matters have been given in the Department's last two annual reports. 1 understand that it is now proposed to establish a communal kitchen in Dunedin.

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