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During the year 21,890 applicants were placed (14,537 on Government works, 4,319 with local bodies, and 3,034 in private employment), while, in addition, 431 others were assisted by advances of rail fares or otherwise. There were 40,086 persons dependent- upon the applicants assisted. For the previous year there were 16,363 persons assisted (7,903 on Government works, 5,259 with local bodies, and 3,201 to private employment) ; dependents, 29,932. The very considerable increase as compared with the previous year is explained by the large amount of work made available by Government during October and November. As in previous years, the applicants -at the bureaux have been largely unskilled workers. Of the applications pending at the end of the first complete week in each month during 1929-30 some 15 per cent., on. the average, were skilled tradesmen, some 60 per cent, were labourers, while the remainder was distributed among farm hands, hotel and restaurant workers and cooks, -&e. Approximately 45 per cent, of the applicants were single while about 75 per cent, stated that they had been unemployed for periods of six weeks and upwards. • The prospects for the present year do not appear bright, and it is considered that a repetition of the extensive relief-works programme of previous years will be called for. The unemployment Committee referred to in the previous report of the Department has completed, its inquiries for the time being, and, as a result of its investigations, has issued two reports, one of which was presented to Parliament last session. The second report will be laid before Parliament this session, when it is expected legislation will be introduced to deal with the question of unemployment.

FACTORIES ACT.

Tlie increase in the number of factories is due to the fact that many small factories (such as home-made-cake manufacturing establishments, &c.) were registered during the year. It is interesting to note in this connection that the number of working occupiers increased by 605. The only districts that showed any marked reduction in the number of employees in factories were Auckland and Wanganui, and it is noticed that only in the case of the Auckland District was there an increase in the number of factories registered and in the number of working occupiers. Large increases in the number of factory workers are recorded in the Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Districts and in several of the secondary districts, the most notable increases being observed in the motor and freezing industries and irj. the engineering industry in one district. The figures as to the number of factories and workers employed therein do not purport to coincide with those of the Government Statistician (Census of Industrial Manufactures), as his returns, which are drawn up purely for statistical purposes, do not cover various small establishments that are included as factories under the Factories Act. It might be explained that the above figures are those ascertained at registration time (April in each year), except that in order to include factories in seasonal industries which might be closed in April, any new establishments opened during the year are added ; the figures shown for 1929-30 therefore chiefly represent the numbers in April, 1929. Accidents. As mentioned previously, in order that the accident statistics may be comparable with the statistics of other countries, as urged by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 1923, the figures cover the calendar year instead of the financial year. The total number of reported accidents to workers in factories is 2,958 (2,833 males and 125 females), an increase of 102 compared with the previous year ; 8 were fatal (last year 12). In addition 2 fatal accidents occurred to persons other than workers (vide paragraphs (1) and (5) below). Of the

Number of I Number of | Year. Factories Movement. i Factory Movement, registered, j Workers, j 1913-14 .. .. .. 13,469 ! 94 (increase) 87,517 919 (increase). 1914-15 .. .. .. 13,937 1 468 „ 88,812 1,295 1915-16 .. .. .. 13,214 723 (decrease) 83,011 5,801 (decrease). 1916-17 .. .. .. 12,455 759 „ 78,188 4,823 1917-18 .. .. .. .12,485 30 (increase) 79,653 1,465 (increase). 1918-19 .. .. .. 12,444 41 (decrease) 82,783 3,130 1919-20 .. .. .. 13,490 1,046 (increase) 85,591 2,808 1920-21 .. .. .. 13,661 171 „ 96,603 11,012 1921-22 .. .. .. 14,013 352 „ 96,980 377 1922-23 .. .. .. 14,535 522 „ 92,608 4,372 (decrease). 1923-24 .. .. .. 15,009 474 „ 97,731 5,123 (increase). 1924-25 .. .. .. 15,868 859 „ 99,423 j 1.692 1925-26 .. .. .. 16,311 443 „ 102,321 2,898 1926-27 .. .. .. 16,619 308 „ 103,404 1,083 1927-28 .. .. .. 16,782 163 „ 102,622 782 (decrease). 1928-29 .. .. .. 16,677 105 (decrease) 102,795 173 (increase). 1929-30 .. .. .. 17,082 405 (increase) 104,448 j 1,653 (increase).