THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1907. INTERESTING STATISTICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8453, 1 June 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1907. INTERESTING STATISTICS.

The 1906 census of the manufactories and works in New Zealand is an interesting return, and one that demonstrates the increasing prosperity of the colony, though, so far as industrial development is concerned, there is not that rapid rate of increase, wnich is not only possible under a really progressive policy, but highly desirable from the point of view of every class in the community. But we are digressing—let us return to commenting upon the statistics, which nave recently come to hand from Mr E. J. von Dadelszen, Regis-trar-General. Mr von Dadelszen remarks in regard to the returns of manufactories and works it is necessary, as a preliminary, to receat the statement made at last census as to what has been included. Whereas up till the time of the census of 1901 the term "factory" was rather held to mean an establishment where manufacture was carried on wholesale, where machinery was employed 'and where sever*al hands worked together, in the returns of 1901 and 1906 a "factory" has been interpreted to mean any concern where two or more persons work together at making articles for disposal, wholesale or retail, and without reference to machinery being used or not. Thus the returns include certain industrial workers (and their production) where two or more are found together, with manufactories to supply the wholesale traders, or making for export.

But the attempt has been made to approximate the census results to those of the Labour Department, according to special . direction. The totals for the industries do not include mining, quarrying and the fisheries, which/ire separately. Under the heading "Hands employed," the increase was from 46,847 in 1900 to 56,359 in 1905, or at the rate of over 20 per cent, in five years. This increase is mainly on the male side. The returns show a decrease of females employed in clothing and boot and shoe factories, besides woollen-mills, match-making and a few others, which brings the net increase in this sex down to 8 per cent. The wages paid in the factories or industrial works dealt with in the census returns were returned for 1905 at £4,457,619, and for 1900 at £3,302,647, the increase on the total sum being at the rate of 35 per cent. The average amount of wages paid to male hands in 1905 was £BB 10s lid, land £Bl 17s lid in 1900; for females, £4l 17s 8d against £3l 6s 2d in 1900. Tested in this way the wages of both would seem to have increased substantially. It must be remembered that these are not adult wages, but those of persons of all ages, male and female distinctly. The increase for the year 1906 over 1901 in the horse-power stated in the returns was 21,222. The approximate value of the land used for purposes of the factories was returned as £3,264,862 in 1906, against £1,980,428 in 1901. There was a very large increase in the value of machinery and plant, from £3,852,457 in 1901 to £5,392,522 in 1906, being at the rate of 39.98 per cent. Somewhat of this result is what might be I expected, considering the ever increasing use and improvement in machinery that is proceeding with time. The value of the buildings also increased from £2,575,679 to £3,851,902, or 49.55 per cent. The value of manufactures, or produce (including repairs), increased in five years from £17,853,133 to £23,444,235, an increase of 31.31 per cent for the quinquennium. None of the figures above-mentoned include statistics relating to the Government Railway Workshops, or Government Printing Office. An analysis of the large increase in output, already referred to, reveals the fact that it was chiefly due to the development of six industries, which increased in importance as follows:—Meat freezing and preserving works, with boiling down, £1,093,654; butter and cheese factories, £1,046,489; sawmills, sash and door factories, £860,077; grain mills £375,802; printing and bookbinding establishments £363,542; flaxmills, £354,316.