H.—44.

Pastoral Association, took place in August last, when the exhibition proved a huge success, the space being fully booked and the attendances being the largest for ten years. In other ways the association has adopted further methods of affording publicity to Dominion-made goods. In its forty-second annual report the Wellington association recorded a membership of 378, representing an increase of 55 members for the year. The decision of the association to form branches in provincial centres was carried into effect, and branches are now representative of Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, and Manawatu interests. The work of organizing trade groups within the association has made steady progress. Members are availing themselves of the industrial service offered by the association. In its report presented to the fifty-eighth annual general meeting the Canterbury association records that 67 new members have been enrolled. It has been decided to extend the services of the association to cover the whole of the Canterbury, Marlborough, and West Coast districts. The formation of trade groups has been proceeded with steadily, in line with the action which is being adopted by other associations in this direction. An important medium of affording publicity for New Zealand-made goods are the radio talks given by members from station 3YA. Visits to factories by schools and by retailers, and the utilization of publicity matter in factories and workshops, are also included in the publicity efforts of the association. The New Zealand Industries Fair, held in August last, proved an outstanding success. The last annual report of the Dunedin association records a membership of 163, 26 new members having been enrolled during the year. The formation of trade groups has also been proceeded with steadily by this association. The association's " Made in New Zealand Week " was again organized with marked success, support being forthcoming from all sections, including retailers, newspapers, and the City Council. STATISTICS RELATING TO MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES. The latest available statistics relating to the manufacturing industries of the Dominion cover the year ended 31st December, 1937. The betterment in industrial conditions generally during immediate past years has been referred to in the two previous annual reports of this Department. This improvement has continued during the year covered by the latest figures, which reveal in a marked way the development and expansion which has taken place during the past year in the manufacturing industries of the Dominion. The 1936-37 statistics indicate that new record high levels are recorded in every principal feature of the statistics. The following table summarizes the statistics under each principal head in respect of the years ended 31st March, 1936 and 1937. For purposes of comparison, index figures are shown illustrating the extent of the development during the past year : —

Included in the aggregate figures shown in the above table are figures relating to such industries as meat-freezing, butter and cheese making, &c. In the following table the figures are shown as they relate to groups according to general character of industries and the nature of the operations carried on. In this way the position of the real manufacturing industries of the Dominion is more clearly indicated, as distinct from those industries closely associated with the primary industries or representing the provision of public utilities under monopoly conditions, including gasworks and electricity generation and supply.

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ear - Index Numbers, 1936—37 1935-36. 1936-37. (1935-36 = 100). Number of establishments .. .. 5,536 5,728 103 Number of persons engaged .. .. 86,588 96,401 111 £ £ Salaries and wages paid .. .. 14,844,367 18,333,077 124 £ £ Cost of materials used or operated upon .. 59,940,393 70,668,075 118 £ £ Otter expenses .. .. .. 9,606,824 10,751,343 112 £ £ Value of products .. .. .. 90,014,748 105,941,722 118 £ £ Added value 30,074,355 35,273,647 117 Value of — £ £ Land and buildings .. .. .. 23,985,510 24,445,338 102 Plant and machinery .. .. 43,453,369 45,151,927 104 67,438,879 69,597,265 103