If—l 7

6

The operations of the company in the past four years have been as under : Season 1927 —340,500 lb., at Is. lOd. per pound; season 1928 —640,6301b., at Is. lid. per pound; season 1929—561,0001b., at Is. 9d. per pound ; first crop, 1929-30—256,294 lb., at Is. lOd. per pound. Individual members who are also members of your Committee have during the sittings of the Committee visited the works and factory of the National Tobacco Co. at Port Ahuriri, Napier, and made a complete inspection of the works, the process of manufacture, the bond stores, the staff appointments, and the packing departments, and desire to express the opinion that the works are ideally conducted, and that it is an enterprise for which the management deserves great commendation, especially because of the excellent staff treatment obtaining there. The report of the Department of Labour on the factory conditions is as follows : — " The factory conditions are exceedingly good ; dining and rest rooms are provided and maintained in a thoroughly clean manner. The female workers are particularly well catered for. The factory itself is hygienic in every way, and, generally speaking, the workers therein are provided with every facility for the safe and congenial performance of their work. " All employees have three weeks' annual holiday at the Christmas period without deduction from wages. The workers express every satisfaction at the treatment they receive, and I should say from observation that they are happy and contented over their work, and because of such give their employer their best and loyal service. " Wage rates for females : Commence at £1 10s., rising by increments given according to merit to £3. " Wage rates for males : Seniors, £4 to £5 ; juniors, £2 to £3." The importations of foreign leaf by this company are dealt with in another section of the report. The worth of the industry as carried on by the National Tobacco Co., Ltd., to the Dominion is : — £ s. d. Amount paid to Customs, financial year ended 31st March, 1930 .. ■■ .. 95,363 14 9 Income-tax last year .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,000 0 0 New Zealand Railways (railage) .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,700 0 0 New Zealand shipping companies (freights) .. .. .. . . . . 5,900 0 0 New Zealand sawmillers for packing-cases made of New Zealand timber .. .. 3,100 0 0 New Zealand tin-manufacturers, for tins, canisters, &c. .. .. .. .. 27,800 0 0 New Zealand printers, for labels, containers, showcards, &c. .. .. .. 4,800 0 0 Other requisites from New Zealand manufacturers .. .. .. .. 5,200 0 0 New-Zealand grown leaf (approximate) .. .. .. .. .. 50,000 0 0 Wages and salaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 ,000 0 0 Operations in New Zealand of Messes. W. D. and H. O. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., and Associated Companies. Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., is a private company registered at Wellington with a nominal and subscribed capital of £830,000. 829,988 shares in this concern are held by the British American Tobacco Co., Ltd., of London. Registered at Wellington as a private company, the nominal and subscribed capital of the Imperial Tobacco Co. of New Zealand, Ltd., is £350,100, and 350,000 of such shares are held by the British American Tobacco Co., Ltd., London. The Dominion Tobacco Co., Ltd., is also registered as a private company at Wellington, and has a nominal and subscribed capital of £25,000. Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., hold 24,900 shares. H. E. Partridge Co. (1927), Ltd., is a private company with a nominal and subscribed capital of £100, and each of the five shareholders in this concern is a shareholder in either Messrs. W. D. and H. 0. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., the Imperial Tobacco Co. (N.Z.), Ltd., or the Dominion Tobacco Co., Ltd. The leaf operations of these companies have been conducted by Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., and have been confined to the Nelson Provincial District. Their first purchase consisted of the major portion of the crop grown by the Motueka Tobacco-growers' Association in 1927, and totalled 13,000 lb. weight, of which 700 lb. was shipped by this concern to London to test the Home market. In the following three seasons Messrs. W. D. and H. O. Wills (N.Z.), Ltd., continued to operate in the same district. Their leaf-buying was as under : — Average Price paid per Pound. 1928 crop — lb. s. d. Air-cured .. .. .. .. .. 51,163 1 7-6 Flue-cured .. .. .. .. .. 105,071 2 4-8 1929 crop — Air-cured .. .. .. .. .. 18,568 I 5-1 Flue-curecl .. .. .. .. .. 244,216 2 1-8 1930 crop — Flue-cured .. .. .. .. .. 234,240 2 1-7 Burley .. .. .. .. .. 5,277 1 5-4 Green River .. . . .. . . . . 5,603 1 3-6 Air-cured from 1929 crop . . . . .. .. 512 1 4-0 Total, 1930 crop .. .. ..245,632