H.—Mα,

The Field Officers of the Lands and Survey Department and also those of the State Advances Corporation provide very valuable co-operation in carrying out the valuation of all contracts put into operation, and the appreciation of this Division for the very extensive assistance afforded during the year is here recorded. SCHEME No. 4f.—FARM-LABOUR ASSISTANCE PLAN. The object of this scheme is to promote the maximum possible supply of labour for ordinary farm-work and so maintain production. The scheme was reintroduced on the 4th September, 1939, with subsidy on the basis of £1 per week for a maximum period of six months for the training in farm duties of inexperienced single men recruited from the register of eligible unemployed. In the first six months a total of only 25 placements was recorded under the scheme, while the position regarding the shortage of farm labour became more accentuated owing mainly to the enlistments of rural workers. With a view to overcoming this shortage, the scheme was enlarged from the 27th May, 1940, to cover wages subsidy over a period of twelve months on the basis of £1 10s. per week for the first six months and 15s. per week for the second six months in respect of the employment of all inexperienced men twenty years of age or over engaged through the Department, irrespective of their eligibility to receive an unemployment benefit. In addition a house allowance at the rate of 12s. 6d. per week was made payable in the case of married workers, whether experienced or inexperienced, where married accommodation was not available and the worker was consequently required to be separated from his wife and family. This house allowance was increased to £1 per week from the 9th September, 1940, in order to bring the total weekly remuneration more into line with the wages applicable on State undertakings and so overcome any reluctance from a financial point of view on the part of married men called upon to accept farmwork involving separation from their families. Since the Ist April, 1940, a total of 1,091 men, comprising 725 single and 366 married, have been placed under this scheme, some 384 of whom were still employed at the sth April, 1941. This number comprises the following : — Single men on dairy-farms .. .. .. .. .. ..177 Single men on sheep-farms .. . % .. .. .. 56 Married men on dairy-farms .. .. .. .. .. 95 Married men on sheep-farms .. .. .. .. .. 56 384 Under the scheme 176 married men have been in receipt of house allowance, and included in the figure of 384 above are 43 married men who were receiving house allowance at the sth April, 1941. In all cases where the house allowance is granted, the names and addresses of the farmers concerned are submitted to the State Advances Corporation with a view to the position being met temporarily by the supply of three-roomed rural cottages by the Public Works Department at a rental of ss. per week and to assistance being granted under the Rural Housing Act for the erection of a permanent structure. SCHEME No. 13: FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT WITH LOCAL BODIES, ETC. The policy of providing full-time employment for all fit unemployed men has been continued, and subsidies under this scheme have been made available to City and Borough Councils, County Councils, River, Drainage, and Rabbit Boards, School Committees, sports bodies, and other public bodies and social institutions not established for profit in respect of the employment of registered and eligible labour at award rates of pay on development-works which would not be put in hand without State assistance. The works undertaken include the formation, widening, metalling, &c., of streets and roads ; footpath construction, kerbing, and channelling ; local-body water-supply and sewerage schemes ; land-drainage, river-clearing, river-protection, flood-damage restoration, &c. ; afforestation ; formation, levelling, improvements, &c., to parks, reserves, domains, school-grounds, hospitalgrounds, &c. The number of men employed under Scheme No. 13 at the sth April, 1941, and the classes of work on which they were engaged, were as follows :— Streets, roads, and reserves .. .. .. .. ..3,724 Drainage .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 174 River-protection .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 222 Sewerage and water-supply schemes .. .. .. .. .. 73 School-ground improvements .. .. .. .. .. 221 Social amenities : Baths, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 185 Tree-planting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 73 Land-development ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 58 Railway-works .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 122 Harbour-works .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 209 Produce-growing and pig-raising .. .. .. .. .. 93 Rabbiting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 133 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 139 Totals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,426

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