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1922. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented, to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

RE POET. The Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Mtntrter of Labour. Sir, — . Department of Labour, Wellington, 15th May, 1922. I have, the honour to present herewith the thirty-first 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 Act, 1908, and the Factories Act, 1921-22. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1921, to 31st March, 1922. In accordance with instructions, the report has again been made as brief as possible. I have, &c, F. W. Rowley, Secretary of Labour. The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Conditions of Trade and Employment. In common with other countries, the somewhat depressed condition of trade reported in my previous report has continued throughout the current year, and the number of unemployed as disclosed by the applications filed with the various employment bureaux of this Department has been in the neighbourhood of eleven hundred practically throughout the, year. The, Department's organization throughout the Dominion has again been utilized in receiving applications for work and in placing men in suitable positions where, available. The, special relief works set up by the Government in different districts have been continued, and, while many men have for various reasons refused this employment, it is believed that practically every case of real distress has been met by the offer of relief work, which is fixed at 12s. a day for married men and 10s. a day for single men. Total number of engagements at Department's employment bureaux, 4,989 (previous year, 3,364), with 4,719 dependants —private employment, 2,833; Government works, 2,156.

Factories Act.

It will, be noticed that, notwithstanding the, trade depression, both the number of factories and the number of workers employed have again slightly increased. There are now a greater number of factories and a greater number of factory workers than have ever previously been reported, the drop during the war years having been fully recovered. As explained last year, the large increase of 11 012 shown in. tlie 1920-21 returns was due to the " absorption " of our men from the war.

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Number of Year. Factories registered. Movoment. 94 (increase) 168 „ 723 (decrease) 759 „ 30 (increase) 41 (decrease) 1,046 (increase) 171 „ 352 „ i : _j_ Number of ! Factory Workers. 87,517 88,812 83,011 78,188 79,653 82,783 85,591 96,603 96,980 Movement. 919 (increase). 1,295 5,801 (decrease). 4,823 „ 1,465 (increase). 3,130 2,808 11,012 „ 377 i 1913-14 (before the war) ..! 13,469 1914-15 13,937 1915-16 (since the war began).. 13,214 1916-17 „ •• : 12,455 1917-18 „ •- I 12,485 1918-19 „ •• I 12,444 1919-20 (after the war) .. 13,490 1920-21 „ •• 13,661 1921-22 „ •• | 14,013