WORK AND WAGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 6, 8 September 1913, Page 4

WORK AND WAGES.

Taking wages paid and the number of hands employed as a basis, it appears that there lias been considerable expansion in the manufacturing industries of New Zealand during the past year. The Labor .Department’s report shows that the number of factories registered as at 31st March, 1913, totalled 13,375—-an increase o' 428 over the number in 1912. There were 86,598 factory workers employed, being 7808 workers more than for the year ending 31st March, 1911, though tho total number of hands for 1912 is not given. The total wages paid in New Zealand factories was £6,713,855 for tho year ending 31st March, 1912, as against £5,981,070 for the year 1909-1910. During the interval of«two years there had been a total net increase of £732,785 in the wages paid. All the manufacturing trades showed a,very steady increase in wages paid, with, the exception -of the lea-ther-working trades, light,. heat, and power trades.,, and flaxmilbng., .It is; stated also that the supply of lahop afforded by oversea immigrants was slightly hotter than in previous years, but tho number of servants is still very far short of tho legitimate requirements of mistresses. The women’s branches of the Department have since their establishment in 1908 assisted 11,72$ women and girls, the. figures for last year being 2072, or 143 less than,.iri the year previous.