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service the machinery required. The third stage came with the development of the internal-combustion engine and the greater availability of electric power, each of which requires a fairly large non-rural community to maintain these services. Each of these developments in turn had its reaction on the rural income, and ultimately on the national income. The standard of life tended to rise, and a greater proportion of the income was devoted to luxury and semi-luxury lines. Social services of a more extensive character became possible. The provision of entertainment such as picturetheatres and radio called for a larger proportion of the population, and generally the standard of life increased. The war placed a serious strain on the country's economy, and this is reflected in part in the heavy fall in the number of males engaged in the tertiary industries in 1945. When a country's economic structure is under a strain for one reason or another, the first industries to suffer are, naturally, the tertiary industries. For instance, as between 1926 and 1936 there was an economic depression. The number of males engaged in agriculture rose very steadily. The number of males engaged in secondary industries tended to maintain, in general, its relation to the increase in population. Owing to the fall in the national income over the depression period, however, the number of males in the tertiary industries increased at a lesser rate than the development of the population. If figures for 1932 and were available they would probably show even a smaller percentage engaged in the tertiary industries. When the war came along the tertiary industries were the first to suffer, and, although male figures show an increase in the number of persons engaged in agriculture and also in industry, the number of males engaged in the tertiary industries fell from 185,200 to 166,000. The proportion of the male population engaged in the tertiary industries fell from 38-3 per cent, to 31-6 per cent. ; in fact, if the year 1942 had been taken instead of 1945 a very much greater fall in the tertiary industries would have been indicated. For instance, as compared with September, 1939, there were 13.000 less males engaged in commerce and finance in 1942 and 4,000 less in 1945. In the group " Public administration and professional" there were 6,000 less males in 1942 and 3,000 less in 1945. Under the heading " Hotels, restaurants, entertainment, laundries, &c." there were 29,000 less males in 1942 and 8,000 less in 1945. Over the whole period, in the tertiary group, there were wide fluctuations. In 1901 there were 76-4 thousand males engaged in the tertiary industries, as compared with 185-2 thousand in 1936. Over the whole period under review, except between 1936 and 1945 (when special war conditions were operating), the numbers of males showed a steady and consistent rise. Expressed as a percentage of the total occupied males, there were 30 per cent, engaged in the tertiary industries in 1901, as against 38-3 per cent, in 1936. The figure for occupied females shows some different trends from the male figures. The relative importance of females in the primary industries has fallen from 6-21 per cent, of total occupied females in 1901 to 3-94 per cent, in 1945. Surprisingly, the figures for females in secondary industries have also fallen heavily, from 26-27 per cent, in 1901 to 18-88 per cent, in 1921, 20-87 per cent, in 1936, and 18-23 per cent, in 1945. On the other hand, the females in the tertiary group have risen very considerably from 67-52 per cent, in 1901 to 77-28 per cent, in 1926, 74-22 per cent, in 1936, and 76-35 per cent, in 1945. Within this tertiary group the number of females engaged in paid domestic and personal services—e.g., hotels—fell from 44-17 per cent, in 1901 to 33-51 per cent, in 1936. It rose, however, from 8-86 per cent, in commerce and finance in 1901 to 18-11 per cent, in 1936 ; in public administration and professional occupations it rose from 13-72 per cent, in 1901 to 20-85 per cent, in 1936. This reflects the greatly increased number of females engaged in office work. The figures for total occupied population are also of interest. The fall in persons engaged in primary production reflects the fall in the numbers of males engaged in goldmining and sawmilling, and the relative fall in the number of females engaged in agriculture. It does not indicate a relative fall in the numbers of males engaged in agriculture. The relative fall in the numbers engaged in secondary industries illustrates

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