H,— 35.

as the Unemployment Board, to do more than lay down broad conditions and to leave it to local officials, honorary or otherwise, to see that the spirit of such conditions are observed to the best advantage of the unemployed and the relief funds. From Ist June, 1931, the subsidy payable in respect of all new contracts or extensions of existing contracts under Scheme No. 4a was reduced to ss. per week for youths aged eighteen or nineteen years, and to 10s. per week for other single men, and £1 per week for married men. In May, 1932, variations of the rates of subsidy were introduced, providing for weekly subsidies up to 10s. to single men a,nd up to £1 ss. to married according to individual responsibilities, and taking into consideration the additional wage (if any) paid by the farmer over and above the free board and accommodation supplied by the latter. Information extracted from the records show that the average weekly wage paid by the farmer over and above the Board's subsidy is ss. 7d. for single men and 12s. sd. for married men. On Ist August, 1932, the basis of subsidy payable from the Unemployment Fund to married men engaged under Scheme No. 4a was altered to 155., with the addition of 2s. 6d. for each child under the age of 16 years, but not exceeding a maximum weekly subsidy of £1 ss. Expenditure by the Board on this scheme for the financial year ended 31st March, 1932, totalled £115,165. From the inception of the scheme in February, 1931, to the end of September, 1932, the expenditure totals £268,200, representing the cost of subsidies paid in respect of 33,231 individual engagements. The number of men actually working on a subsidized basis through Scheme 4a at the end of each month from April, 1931, to September, 1932, inclusive, is quoted hereunder : —

The average number of men engaged throughout the twelve months ended 30th September, 1932, was 7,310. The distribution of the 9,779 men working at the end of September, 1932, according to amount of subsidy being paid, was as follows : — Single men — ss. or less .. .. ■ ■ • ■ • • • • • • 860 Over ss. and under 10s. .. .. .. .. .. -. 15 10s 6,597 Total .. .. .. .. .. ■■ •• 7,472 Married men — 15s. or less .. .. .. .. . • ■ ■ ■ • 185 Over 15s. and under £1 .. .. .. .. . . ~ 196 £1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,729 £1 2s. 6d. .. .. .. .. . - .. • ■ • ■ 76 £1 ss. .. .. .. . ■ • ■ ■ ■ • • 121 Total .. .. .. .. .. • • 2,307 Grand total .. .. .. .. .. 9,779

15

Number of Men. End of Month. j ; Single. Married. ! Total. _ ; 1 ■ 1931. April .. .. .. 1,887 635 2,522 May .. .. .. ■■ 3,257 933 4,190 June.. .. .. .. •• •• 3,768 970 4,738 July .. .. .. .. ■■ •• 4,466 1,125 5,591 August 4,049 899 4,948 September .. .. .. •• 900 293 1,193 October .. .. .. .. 2,708 810 3,518 November .. .. .. ■■ •• 3,456 958 4,414 December .. .. .. .. .. 3,666 964 4,630 1932. January .. .. .. .. 3,911 1,067 4,978 February 4,272 1,176 5,448 March 5,082 1,409 6,491 April .. .. .. .. •• 5,658 1,568 7,226 May .. .. .. .. •• •• 6,303 1,896 8,199 June . .. .. ■ ■ • • •• 7,843 2,361 10,204 July .. .. .. .. .. •• 8,875 2,693 11,568 August .. .. .. •• 8,617 2,645 11,262 September 7,472 2,307 9,779