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28

Clothing. Official statistics, year ended 31st March 1927. 1928. 1929. Establishments (number) .. .. 229 215 228 Employees (number) .. .. 6,881 7,101 7,501 Wages paid .. .. .. £873,140 £869,953 £943,198 Value of output .. .. .. £2,600,462 £2,507,446 £2,691,690 Value added by manufacture .. £1,211,716 £1,198,064 £1,359,753 Imports, calendar years— Apparel and ready-made clothing .. £1,994,525 £2,156,520 £2,233,995 New Zealand factory production increased by the substantial sum of £184,244, an increase of 7-3 per cent, over the 1928 figures. Imports increased by £77,470, or 3-5 per cent. Of the increase in imports the United Kingdom accounted for £60,000 ; Germany, £6,000 ; and Japan, £4,000. Reports from northern factories state that local competition is keen, particularly from the factories using the cheaper class of imported cloth for clothing. Imports of this material seriously complicate the position of the New Zealand mills, which produce in general the higher grades of cloth. Agricultural and Dairy Machinery and Implement Making. Official statistics, year ended 31st March : — 1927. 1928. 1929. Establishments (number) . . . . .. 25 25 26 Employees (number) . . .. .. 885 779 826 Wages paid .. .. .. .. £191,002 £168,483 £183,266 Value of output .. .. .. .. £607,339 £610,136 £800,911 Value added by manufacture .. .. £311,614- £320,848 £383,597 It will be noted from the above figures that appreciable increases have taken place in the value of output and also in the value added by manufacture. In the Auckland District the sale of harrows and top-dressers has materially increased during the past year. Keen competition has been experienced locally, but, on the whole, the year has been a satisfactory one. A few southern factories report a fairly satisfactory year, and a new line of top-dressers and pasture harrows has been placed on the market. Other factories in the South report that trade conditions have only been fair. Overseas competition has been felt more keenly than local competition.

IMPORTS (CALENDAR YEARS).

Woollen-manufacturing. Official statistics, year ended 31st March : — 1927. 1928. 1929. Establishments (number) .... 12 12 12 Employees (number) .. .. 2,380 2,451 2,576 Wages paid .. .. .. £369,323 £381,561 £399,560 Value of output .. .. .. £1,053,306 £1,209,150 £1,236,578 Value added by manufacture .. £550,169 £627,305 £647,699 Imports, calendar year : —- Woollen piece-goods (pure or containing wool) .. .. .. £787,986 £785,593 £742,649 This industry shows a slight increase in wages paid, value of output, and value added by manufacture over the figures for the corresponding period of the previous year. With a falling wool-market trading conditions have been difficult, buyers being reluctant to place orders owing to the unstable position of the wool-market. In order to show the competition from overseas, import figures for four years are given hereunder, together with figures for artificial silk and cotton. Imports show

1927. 1928. 1929. Number. ! Value. Number. Value. Number. Value. Agricultural machinery— £ £ £ Cultivators .. .. .. 541 7,102 1,282 7,667 1,518 15,002 Drills and sowers .. .. 1,233 1 17,629 336 6,309 1 956 9,893 Harrows, disk 621 8,102 296 3,219 765 10,577 Ploughs .. .. .. 848 9,419 876 9,262 1,026 8,890 Presses—wool, hay, and straw .. 32 2,045 20 1,733 103 6,277 Dairying machinery —churns .. 2,158 5,189 2,447 3,467 2,428 5,368