H.—ll.

The twenty-first session will be a special maritime one and should open on the 6th October, 1936, the following being the items on the Agenda:— (i) (a) Regulation of hours of work on board ship. (6) Manning in conjunction with hours of work on board ship. (ii) Protection of seamen in case of sickness (including the treatment of seamen injured on board ship), i.e.— (a) The individual liability of the shipowner towards sick or injured seamen; and (5) Sickness insurance for seamen. (iii) Promotion of seamen's welfare in ports. (iv) Establishment by each maritime country of a minimum requirement of professional capacity in the case of captains, navigating and engineer officers in charge of watches on board merchant ships. (v) Holidays with pay for seamen. IMMIGRATION. In previous years this subject has been dealt with in a separate report. The total number of arrivals from the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st March, 1936, was! 653 (322 males and 331 females). Of this total none was assisted by the Imperial and New Zealand Governments. The activities of the Department have been in the direction of recovery of debts due in respect of passage-money loans of previous years, an amount of £701 10s. 4d. being still due to the New Zealand Government in this connection. Refunds due by migrants on account of non-fulfilment of the five years' residence condition also received attention. The effect of the policy of restriction in respect of assisted migration, which was first adopted in May, 1927, is illustrated by the figures hereunder, embracing the financial years 1926-27 to 1935-36 inclusive: —

There is increasing evidence of renewed interest both in New Zealand and in other parts of the British Empire in the subject of migration. Various plans have been suggested by organizations interested in the matter and the Department has endeavoured to obtain all available information that may be useful should the present policy be altered. EXPENDITURE DURING THE YEAR. Salaries and allowances (including salaries of nominated members, Court of £ Arbitration), temporary assistance, and agents' remuneration .. .. 34,649 Fees, travelling-expenses, &c., in connection with work of Conciliation Councils and the Court of Arbitration . . . . . . . . ■ • • • 5,289 Printing, stationery, office requisites and equipment, rent, cleaning, heating and lighting of offices, advertising, postage, telegrams, telephones, &c. ... . . 6,053 Travelling-expenses, &c., of Inspectors, including cost of bicycles, motor-cycles, &c. 3,497 Fares, board and lodging, &c., advanced to persons proceeding to employment . . 234 Expenses of delegation to Conference of International Labour Organization, Geneva 955 Miscellaneous expenditure .. .. . • • • • • ■ 27 50,704 Less recoveries— £ Fares, &c. ■ . . • • • • • ■ ■ ■ ■ 248 Sale of publications .. . . .. ■ • ■ • 157 Inspectors' travelling-costs . . . . . . • . 1,553 Service to other Departments, &c. . . . . . . 4,371 Miscellaneous .. .. ■ ■ • • • • • • 104 6,433 £44,271 The above figures do not include items provided elsewhere than the Labour Department's vote —e.g., salary of Judge, Court of Arbitration.

2 —H. 11.

9

Year. Assisted Migrants. Full-fare Migrants. 1926-1927 .. .. 11,239 3,704 1927-1928 .. .. 3,822 2,375 1928-1929 .. .. 1,968 1,846 1929-1930 .. .. 1,790 1,579 1930-1931 .. .. 1,233 1,377 1931-1932 .. .. 290 1,968 1932-1933 .... 56 570 1933-1934 .... 4 464 1934-1935 .... 1 490 1935-1936 .. .. 5* 653 * Cases approved. No arrivals during year.