H.—35.

In view of the urgency of the Board's demand and the necessity for spreading the work evenly throughout the country, orders for boots were placed with any factory which quoted reasonably competitive prices for boots of a quality approximating the standard set by the Board. In this way the total of 64,194 pairs of boots have been distributed amongst nineteen manufacturers. The Board s action in creating a demand for such a large quantity of locally made boots had a most stimulating effect on the boot and leather industry. Unemployed and partially unemployed boot operatives have been reabsorbed full time into their normal occupations, factories have accelerated their production, and hides have been in greater demand. MEAT SUPPLIES. Since last reporting the Board has assisted unofficial relief organizations by the distribution of approximately 16,000 carcases of meat. Supplies were purchased in bulk, held in cool storage till required, and sold to the various organizations at half the cost price. This facility has been of great service in meeting specially necessitous cases during the winter months. LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEES. Thanks are due to Local Unemployment Committees for the valuable honorary services which they are rendering at a large number of centres. The Board derives materia] advantage from the assistance which can be given by bodies of responsible citizens acting in this capacity of co-trusteeship. STAFF. The Board desires to record its appreciation of the services rendered by the staff allotted to its office by the Government. These officers were drawn from practically all Departments of State to deal with an- entirely new and intricate problem. The complete lack of precedents called for unusual initiative , and the fact that all administrative action was directly personal in its ultimate effects rendered the voluminous work still more trying. Keen recognition of the special responsibilities attaching to their novel duties has been displayed by all members of the staff. Acknowledgment of their commendable public service is due also to certifying officers. These officers, except in a few principal centres where there are branches of the Labour Department, are Postma-sters. Their onerous functions as certifying officers for the Board have been superimposed on their normal duties. The added responsibilities incidental to maintaining a balanced relation between their concern with vital personal interests of relief fund beneficiaries, and their duty as local auditors of relief expenditure, have been discharged during the year with uniformly high purpose and with every satisfaction to the Board. VALUE OF RELIEF WORK. Ihe value of relief work carried out under the Unemployment Board's schemes, including Scheme No. 5, which remains the scheme under which by far the larger number are employed on an intermittent basis, is not yet fully appreciated. Reference to Table IV in the Appendix shows the relatively high proportion of men a charge on Scheme No. 5 who are definitely engaged on reproductive work. The proportion of men so engaged ranges from 32-5 per cent, of the whole in March, 1933, to 36-7 per cent, in August, 1933. These calculations do not include the gold-prospectors who are operating under Scheme No. 5 as distinct from Scheme No. 8 which deals wholly with gold miners and prospectors. An examination of 'Fable II indicates the Board's activities during the past year in absorbing the unemployed where they are enabled to work full time, additional remuneration over the Board's subsidy being provided by the employing authorities. The following table gives a summary of the position :—

It will be seen that there was an increase during the year of over 100 per cent, in the numbers employed on developmental work under the schemes quoted.

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Number of Men employed at Increase. Scheme. 29th October, 30th September, „ , 1932. 1933 Number. Per Cent. Scheme No. 4b .. .. .. 2,094 4,703 2,609 124-6 Camp schemes .. .. .. 2,989 3,853 864 28-9 Public Works jobs at standard rates of pay 619 2,063 1,444 233-3 Gold mining and prospecting .. 1,430 3,908 173-3 Totals •• •• •• j 7,132 14,527 7,395 103-7