H.—44.

Comparisons of Group 4, the industries which may be termed the genuine manufacturing industries, for the years 1937-38 and 1938-39 reveal that persons engaged increased by 396. Salaries and wages paid increased by £858,454. Cost of materials used, value of products, and " added value " all recorded increases. Number of Establishments. Increases. —Coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., 83 ; furniture, 33 ; clothing, 23 ; electrical engineering, 13 ; concrete block and fibrous plaster, 9 , fur-coat and necklet making, 9. Decreases. —Sawmilling, 30 ; flax-milling, 13 ; butter and cheese, 9. Persons engaged. Increases. —Coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., 380; electricity generation and supply, 312 ; brick, tile, and pottery, 208 ; tinned plate, &c., 196 ; printing and publishing, 184 ; electrical engineering, 163 ; general engineering, 141 ; joinery, 128 ; fruit-preserving and jam-making, 104. „„„ , . Decreases. —Clothing, 646 ; sawmilling, 447 ; woollen-milling, 342 ; flax-mulmg, 283 ; butter and cheese, 184 ; sail, tent, and oilskin, 116. Salaries and Wages. Increases. —Meat freezing and preserving, £191,646 ; coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., £158,571; printing and publishing, £104,868; electricity generation and supply, £102,357; general engineering, £77,038 ; tinned plate, &c., £67,865 ; brick, tile, and pottery, £50,133 ; furniture, £48,506. Decreases.—Flax-milling, £55,338 ; woollen-milling, £29,847. Cost of Materials used. Increases. —Electricity generation and supply, £704,261 ; coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., £256,332 ; brewing and malting, £181,673 ; sawmilling, £130,388 ; tobacco and cigarettes, £122,488 ; ham' and bacon, £115,330; printing and publishing, £112,693; joinery, £85,039; tinned plate, £79,982. , , Decreases. —Meat freezing and preserving, £876,236 ; butter and cheese, £495,556 ; woollenmilling, £225,561 ; fellmongering and woolscouring, £172,148 ; grain-milling, £115,903 ; tanning, £84,782 ; clothing, £53,282. Value of Output. Increases. —Electricity generation and supply, £620,291 ; coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., £354,980; tinned plate, &c., £200,020; joinery, £165,048; lime crushing and cement, £158,426 ; concrete block and fibrous plaster, £125,848 ; general engineering, £110,664 ; biscuit and confectionery, £107,508 ; paint and varnish, £100,531. Decreases. —Meat freezing and preserving, £574,567 ; butter and cheese, £432,701; woollenmilling, £306,683; grain-milling, £191,841; fellmongering and woolscouring, £174,869; clothing, £152,963 ; tanning, £92,078. Added Value. Increases. —Meat freezing and preserving, £301,669 ; lime crushing and cement, £136,846 ; general engineering, £135,420 ; tinned plate, &c., £120,038 ; coach-building and motor engineering, &c„ £98,648 ; biscuit and confectionery, £98,291; brick, tile, and pottery, £82,199 ; joinery, £80,009 ; furniture, £67,533. . Decreases. —Sawmilling, £116,818 ; clothing, £99,681 ; brewing and malting, £95,748 ; aerated waters, £95,424; agricultural machinery, &c., £95,112; electricity generation and supply, £83,970; flax-milling, £81,692. Land and Buildings, Plant, and Machinery. Increases. —Electricity generation and supply, £1,562,372 ; coachbuilding and motor engineering, &c., £441 327 ■ meat freezing and preserving, £333,444 ; brewing and malting, £208,296 ; printing and publishing, £136,336 ; clothing, £126,535 ; paint and varnish, £94,875 ; butter and cheese, £80,404. Decreases. —Flax-milling, £97,142; gasmaking, £57,595; tanning, £26,680; gram-milling, £26 919. ' The above statistics (the latest available) trace the development of industry up to the end of March, 1939. The following comments on some of the main manufacturing industries are compiled from the reports of the Department's District Officers in the four main centres and give an indication of the development that has occurred in industry during the subsequent twelve months—i.e., the year ended 31st March, 1940. Comment on Manufacturing Industries. 1. Fruit-preserving and Jam-making. On the whole, canning firms are well satisfied with their turnover for the past year. At the outset stocks of imported lines appear to have been fairly high, with the resultant time-lag before the. full stimulus from import control was experienced. Sales at an exceptionally high level were experienced shortlv after the outbreak of war, after which business returned to normal. Supplies of fruit and labour appear to have been fairly satisfactory throughout the season. New machinery has been installed in many instances, and further expansion has only been retarded owing to the difficulty in obtaining supplies of tin plate.

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