H—4s

Summarizing the foregoing, the Commission finds that it requires approximately an additional £55,000 of revenue during 1950-51 in order to meet the requirements of the National Administration Fund for this year. This is arrived at as follows £ Annual loss on existing levels of revenue and expenditure .. 10,000 Additional costs of wages for annual holidays, &c. .. 16,000 Additional costs for salaries .. .. • • •• 4,000 Appropriation required for Buildings and Cafeteria Reserve 2-5,000 £55,000 In order to make provision for the additional revenue the Commission was compelled to review the rate of levy, and, as a result, Order No. 89 was issued raising the rate of levy from sixpence (6d.) per hour to sevenpence (7d.) per hour as from 10th July, 1950. On the basis of the 1949-50 volume of work, this increase in levy is estimated to produce an additional £40,000 of income for the balance of the 1950—51 financial year. The analysis of income and expenditure for the fund is given according to the four main subdivisions of expenditure as follows : (i) Annual Holidays.—The income to cover payment of annual holidays to waterside workers in terms of the Annual Holidays Act, 1944, is based on nine thirty-seconds of total National Administration Fund levies. For 1949-50 this proportion amounts to £89,450, which is £13,759, or 13-33 per cent., less than 1948-49. Expenditure on union and non-union holiday pay (including administration assessment of 2| per cent, on income as for a separate fund) increased by £10,143, or 9'57 per cent., to £116,105 as compared with 1948-49. Rates of annual holiday pay were increased by 6d. per half-day (for unionists) and o*o6d. per paid hour (for non-unionists) as from Ist June, 1949. The net deficiency for 1949-50 was £26,655. (ii) Statutory Holidays.—The proportion of National Administration Fund levies allocated to cover statutory holiday payments is seven thirty-seconds. For 1949-50, income under this heading totalled £69,573, which is £10,701 less than for 1948-49. Expenditure for 1949-50 on union and non-union statutory holiday pay (including administration assessment of 2|- per cent, on income, as for a separate fund) totalled £83,940, which was £31,705 more than for 1948-49. The reasons for this increase are (a) the normal number of nine statutory holidays fell within the year 1949—50, as compared with only six during 1948-49, and (b) the increase of Is. per day for seven of the holidays. (iii) Daily and Weekly Minimum Payments.—The proportion of National Administration Fund levies allotted to this section is the same as for annual holidays—that is, nine thirty-seconds, equal to £89,450. The expenditure amounted to £62,180 (including administration assessment of 2-| per cent, on income, as for a separate fund), this being a reduction of £16,161 on the payments made in 1948-49. The reduction is due in part to the suspension of the Commission's Order, during which period no guaranteed payments were made, and in part to the increase in the average hours of work at secondary ports, where minimum payments are heaviest (see also Section 6, page 12). (iv) Central Pay Office, Labour Engagement Bureau, and General Administration t(lncluding Amenities). —The income allotted to this subdivision includes seven thirtyseconds of National Administration Fund levies, the assessments on income of other ■Commission funds (1£ per cent, co-operative contracts; 2| per cent, other funds), parliamentary appropriation, and sundries. Including £6,211 for the assessment allowed for in Subdivision (i) to (iii) of this section, the total administrative income for 1949-50 was £138,669, as compared with £147,023 in 1948-49, a decrease of £8,354. It is gratifying to note that, despite an increase in award salary rates as from Ist June, 1949, and higher costs of printing, stationery, cleaning, &c., expenditure for 1949-50, at £134,869, represents an increase of only £279, or 0-21 per cent., on 1948-49.

19