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1941. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented, to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

REPORT.

The Secretary, Department op Labour, to the Hon. the Minister op Labour. Sir,— Department of Labour, Wellington, 31st July, 194-1. I have the honour to present herewith the fiftieth annual report of this Department for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to be laid before Parliament in compliance with the Labour Department Act, 1908, and the Factories Act, 1921-22. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1940, to 31st March, 1941. I have, &c., Henry E. Moston, The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Secretary of Labour.

EMPLOYMENT IN FACTORIES. Although the number of factories registered in the Dominion shows a decrease of 203 as compared with the previous year (the actual figures being—l 939-40, 18,141 factories ; 1940-41, 17,940 factories) the number of factory workers employed shows an increase of 3,419 over the preceding year. The increase in the number of factory workers since the war began is approximately 9,000, the principal trades showing increases in the number of workers being boot and shoe manufacturing, clothingmanufacturing, engineering, glass-manufacturing, meat freezing, paper-milling, tobacco and cigarette manufacturing, and woollen-milling. In some trades a slackening-off has occurred mainly due to short supply of materials. It is perhaps too early to draw definite conclusions as to the effect of the transfer of men to the armed forces and to the extent that women have replaced them. Employment in the motor and cycle engineering trades, which recorded an increase from 4,806 in 1933-34 to 8,399 in 1939-40, fell away to 7,258 in 1940-41. Apart from, the effect of rationing of petrol, withdrawal of men for Air Force units has probably affected this trade in greater ratio than others. With the necessity for greater production in several trades for war purposes shift-work for women has been introduced by emergency regulations, and similar provision has been made for male workers on certain essential war work where such provision had not been made in Awards of the Arbitration Court. These are dealt with under the heading " Industrial Emergency Council." The importance, in a time when expansion or replacement of plant and machines is a matter of difficulty or impossibility, of the fuller utilization of equipment and buildings possible under a shift system has not been generally appreciated. Overtime worked in factories during the year discloses a considerable increase. The Industrial Emergency Council recommended, and this was adopted, an extension of the overtime permitted for women and boys in factories. The Department's information regarding overtime in factories is

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