UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD (REPORT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1934 Session I, H-35

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1934. NEW ZEALAND.

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD (REPORT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

REPORT.

INTRODUCTORY. Concurrently with a general improvement in economic conditions in New Zealand, the unemployment outlook is distinctly brighter than was the case when the Unemployment Board presented its last preceding annual report. The period covered by the present report is shorter than usual owing to Parliament reverting to its normal practice of assembling in June. Financial figures are, of course, quoted for the full financial year, but other data show the activities of the Board to the end of June instead of, as previously, to the end of September. Opportunity is taken in various sections of the report to refer to recent or anticipated developments in the Board's policy. As forecast in the previous report, any changes which have occurred in the unemployment situation during the past year have been for the better. During the period under review the Board has vigorously pursued a policy of encouraging employing authorities in industry and local-governing bodies to provide additional full-time employment at standard rates of wages. The most successful of the experiments tried with a view to this end was the No. 10 Building Subsidy Scheme. From a position of almost complete inactivity in April last year, the building industry experienced a mild boom during the latter part of 1933, and improvement in employment as a result of this scheme was not confined merely to tradesmen and labourers actually employed on subsidized building jobs. Renewed activity in building opened up avenues of employment covering a very wide field. It is worthy of note that shortly after the commencement of Scheme No. 10 there began a steady decline in the numbers on the unemployment register who were receiving intermittent relief, the figures under this heading during the first half of 1934 falling lower than at any period in the preceding two years. Simultaneously with the renewed activity in the building industry has been encouraged a tendency for local bodies to seek out some permanent work justifying the use of loan-money, and, with assistance granted from the Unemployment Fund by way of subsidy, provision has been made for quite a substantial number of full-time works at standard wages, as an alternative to Scheme No. 5 work on a rationed basis. It is not suggested by the Board that the experience of the past nine months is an indication that the progress of reabsorption into industry will continue at the same rate, without new efforts and new experiments, until the problem of unemployment in New Zealand is solved. Even if this rate of progress were maintained it would not be until 1940 that the registration figures of unemployed would return to the level of 1928, the year when a special Committee was set up to investigate and report on the unemployment position. It is on this account that the Board has set aside £250,000 from its funds to be used as an aid to the development of new industries. It is not one of the Board's functions to initiate new industries or to control industries. The Board, in taking this action, is seeking the co-operation and assistance of the industrialists. It appears that the best results will be obtained if the initiative in the matter of expanding our secondary industries is taken by those who are specially trained in industry. If, however, there is a failure on the part of this section of the community to meet the present difficult position, it seems inevitable that new experiments will have to be tried. In the meantime the Board is exploring every possible avenue for stimulating reabsorption of the unemployed into existing industries. The principle hitherto adopted by the Board of requiring work to be performed in exchange for relief granted is now presenting great difficulty. Had the depression been an ordinary trade cycle such as is experienced at more or less regular intervals there is little doubt that, for New Zealand conditions, the method of providing work through local bodies in exchange for relief would have much to commend it. Despite the criticism levelled against much of the work done under certain schemes, the Board still confidently maintains that at least 50 per cent, of the necessary expenditure on relief to the unemployed has been salvaged in the form of permanent assets. In many parts of the country it is still possible to administer relief through these channels to advantage. It is in the more populous areas where the numbers of unemployed are large and where the type of work suited to Scheme No. 5 is becoming scarce that the greatest difficulty is being experienced. This is producing two results, both of which are objectionable. Either the local bodies in these areas are proposing to carry out

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under Scheme No. 5 works which ought to be done at ordinary standard rates and financed from their own funds, or, being unable to provide work of value sufficient to warrant the overhead costs, are pressing the Board for some contribution towards the costs of materials and overhead. During the past year it has been necessary, therefore, in the main centres to substitute sustenance payments without work for some of the relief jobs carried out under Scheme No. 5. This has mainly been confined to workers over fifty years of age and those who are unfitted for the manual work provided under Scheme No. 5. Much has been done during the past year further to stimulate employment in developmental work on farms, details of which will be found elsewhere in this report. Additional assistance has been granted also to the flax and kauri-gum industries. The Board's work in encouraging gold-mining and prospecting has been vigorously prosecuted during the year, and steps are being taken to widen the scope of activity in this industry. PERSONNEL OF BOARD. The constitution of the Board remains on the basis laid down in the Unemployment Amendment Act, 1931, and for the greater part of the period reviewed in this report the personnel was unchanged from the previous year. Unfortunately, the Deputy-Chairman, Mr. James S. Jessep, tendered his resignation towards the end of June, 1934, owing to the increasing amount of work imposed on him as a result of his appointment as East Coast Commissioner. The Board desires to place on record its appreciation of the yeoman service rendered by Mr. Jessep during the three years he was associated with the Board in what was undoubtedly a most serious stage of unemployment in New Zealand, and its regret that he was obliged to relinquish his position. By resolution of the Board, Mr. Jessep has been appointed an Associate Member under section 15 of the Unemployment Act, 1930. Following on this resignation, Mr. Walter Bromley was appointed to fill the position of DeputyChairman. Mr. Bromley was a member of the original Board, and, except for a period of three months early in 1931, has had continuous service as a Board member. The vacancy on the Board was filled by the appointment of Mr. G. A. Pascoe, of Christchurch. Mr. Pascoe is Chairman of the Development of Industries Board, and also served as a member of the Tariff Commission. These appointments were notified in the New Zealand Gazette No. 51, dated the sth July, 1934. At the time of presenting this report the Hon. Adam Hamilton is temporarily dissociated from the activities of the Unemployment Board owing to ilhhealth. The portfolio of Employment, which carries with it the Chairmanship of the Board, has been assumed by the Hon. J. A. Young, Minister of Health. THE UNEMPLOYMENT FUND. Accompanying this report is an audited statement of the receipts and payments of the Unemployment Fund for the year ended 31st March, 1934. Summarized, this statement shows the following position, the corresponding figures for previous years being shown for the purpose of comparison :—

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Year ended J Year ended Year ended Year ended 31st March, 3Jst March, 31st March, 31st March, 1931.* i 1932. 1933. j 1934. £ £ £ £ Cash in Fund at beginning of year .. .. .. 69,115 184,967 424,426 Receipts. Levy .. .. .. .. .. 229,000 538,503 429,004 428,550 Wages-tax .. .. .. .. .. .. 490,053 2,471,028 2,891,715 Tax on income other than salary or wages ' .. .. 220,245 1,120,404 1,106,602 Subsidy from Consolidated Fund .. .. 159,247 1,118,753 Miscellaneous.. .. .. .. .. 9 2,530 7,563 13,466 388,256 2,439,199 4,212,966 4,864,759 Payments. Grants under section 18, Unemployment Act, 1930.. 313,209 2,200,545 3,594,637 3,972,186 Sustenance under section 20, Unemployment Act, 1930 .. .. 12,960 33,302 Loans under section 18, Unemployment Act, 1930 .. .. 16,340 21,633 20,919 Purchases of food, &c., under section 14, Unemplov- . . .. 58,667 104,278 ment Amendment Act, 1932 Administration expenses .. .. .. 5,932 37,347 100,643 112,556 319,141 2,254,232 3,788,540 4,243,241 Cash in Fund at end of year .. .. .. 69,115 184,967 424,426 621,518 * Period 11th October, 1930, to 31st March, 1931.

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In addition to the sum of £621,518 shown above as cash in the Fund at the 31st, March last, there was a sum of £56,305 tax collected by the Post Office and not yet paid over at that date. There was thus a total of £677,823 cash available. Deducting from this figure a sum of approximately £231,000 sundry creditors at the 31st March, 1934, there was in the Unemployment Fund at Ist April, 1934:, a sum of approximately £446,823, making, with the estimated revenue of £4,768,000, a total of £5,214,823 available for unemployment relief during the year ending 31st March, 1935. In the year ended on the 31st March, 1934, payments under various relief schemes were as follows :— £ Farming schemes .. .. .. .. .. .. 270,767 Building scheme .. .. .. .. .. .. 229,460 Gold-prospecting schemes . . .. . . . . . . 198,334 Camp schemes .. .. . . . . .. . . . . 231,647 Distribution of food, clothing, &c.. . . . . . . . . . 104,278 Sustenance payments . . .. .. . . 33 ; 302 Scheme No. 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,889,837 Relief of unemployment among Maoris .. .. .. .. 74,080 Loans under section 18 .. .. .. .. .. .. 20,919 Miscellaneous grants, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 78,061 Administration expenses .. .. .. .. .. 112,556 £4,243,241 It will be noted that the payments in respect of administration expenses totalled £112,556. This sum represents 2-65 per cent, of the total payments of £4,243,241 from the Fund. The percentage of administration payments to total payments in the year 1932-33 was 2-82 per cent. The total payments do not, however, provide a satisfactory basis for comparing the cost of administration year by year, since the payments for a particular year include items of expenditure actually incurred in a previous year, while the whole year's expenditure will not be shown in the payments, since at the end of the year there will be commitments due and unpaid. The actual expenditure on administration when unpaid accounts at the end of each year are included was —1931-32, £55,015 ; 1932-33, £95,165 ; 1933-34, £118,560 (approximately). The latter figures, representing actual expenditure, form a more satisfactory basis for comparing costs of administration. Percentage costs extracted on this basis show the comparative position for the years 1931-32, and 1933-34 as follows :— 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34.* (1) Total expenditure, including unpaid £ £ £ creditors, at 31st March .. .. 2,268,197 3,839,807 4,299,441 Plus cost of collection of levy retained by Post Office .. .. .. 4,000 6,500 f £2,272,197 £3,846,307 £4,299,441 (2) Amount of administration expenses included in total cost shown above.. £55,015 £95,165 £118,560 (3) Administration expenses as percentage p er Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. of total cost .. .. .. 2-42 2-47 2'76 Having regard to the thousands of men in receipt of relief, and the necessity of investigating their circumstances and eligibility, and considering the multiplicity and variety of schemes under which they are engaged, the administrative costs are exceedingly low.

* Final figures for year 1933-34 are not yet available; the figures quoted may be subject to slight alteration, but not sufficient to make any material difference in the percentage of administration expenses to total expenditure. f Cost of collection of levy for the year 1933-34 was appropriated and is therefore included in total expenditure of £4,299,441.

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UNEMPLOYMENT FUND. Receipts and Payments Account for Year enjded 31st March, 1934. Receipts. Payments. To Balance at beginning of By Annual appropriation, Vote, £ s. d. £ s. d, year— £ s. d. £ s. d. " Unemployment exCash .. .. 323,148 9 8 penses"— Imprests outstanding .. 1,277 15 9 Salaries .. .. 45,917 14 11 Temporary investments 100,000 0 0 Advertising .. .. 249 12 6 424,426 5 5 Board members' fees, Unemployment Act, 1930 : salaries, and expenses 2,113 18 1 Receipts under the Act— Ex gratia payments to Unemployment levy .. .. 428,549 16 6 relief workers who Emergency unemploy- suffer permanent disment charge— ability as the result of Tax on salary or wages an accident whilst enpaid in cash .. 1,462,943 17 7 gaged on relief work 199 17 3 Tax on salary or wages Expenses in connection paid by sale of " Un- with transport of body employment Relief " of relief worker accistamps .. .. 1,428,771 8 2 dentally killed .. 9 14 6 Fitting up labour bureaux 561 4 6 2,891,715 5 9 Law-costs .. .. 98 5 1 Tax on income other Misappropriation by than salary or wages 1,106,601 17 1 officer at Auckland .. 922 19 11 3,998,317 2 10 Motor-vehicles— Eines .. .. .. 356 4 8 Purchase of .. 374 6 9 Interest on investments .. 7,364 16 2 Maintenance and reInterest on loans under pairs to .. .. 323 19 2 section 18, Unemploy- Office equipment .. 542 13 9 ment Act, 1930 .. 1,210 9 7 Office expenses .. 213 15 11 Repayment of loans under Overtime and meal allow - section 18, Unemploy- ances .. .. 702 12 6 ment Act, 1930 .. 4,339 11 6 Postages, telegrams, and Donations .. .. 7 14 11 rent of letter-boxes .. 4,352 16 10 Miscellaneous .. .. 186 9 10 Printing and stationery 4,010 0 4 13,465 6 8 Rent, heating, and lighting .. .. 2,228 14 7 Services rendered by other Departments .. 43,376 12 9 Special advisory committee, fees, expenses, &c., of .. .. 286 10 0 Telephone services .. 1,888 17 7 Transfer and removal expenses .. .. 26 2 1 Travelling allowances and expenses .. .. 3,885 311 Typewriters and mechanical office appliances— Purchase of .. 149 10 10 Maintenance and repairs to .. .. 47 18 2 Contingencies (including unforeseen expenditure incidental to the other items of the Vote) .. 18 0 112,484 9 11 Unauthorized expenditure : Services not provided for .. 70 12 8 Grants under section 18, Unemployment Act, 1930— Scheme No. 4a . . 145,914 10 0 Scheme No. 4b .. 65,329 17 8 Scheme No. 4c .. Or. 114 14 11 Scheme No. 4d .. 19,664 16 7 Scheme No. 5 .. 2,889,836 11 2 Scheme No. 6a .. 35,608 15 0 Scheme No. 6b . . 10,410 2 9 Scheme No. 6c .. 185,627 17 5 Scheme No. 7 .. 533 9 2 Scheme No. 8a and other assistance to subsidized gold-prospectors .. 191,041 8 2 Scheme No. 8b .. 7,292 16 10 Scheme No. 10 .. 229,460 5 7 Scheme No. 11 .. 22,964 10 6 Small-farm plan .. 16,476 0 7 Assistance to flax industry .. .. 16,141 13 2 Assistance to timber industry .. .. 940 2 5 Relief of unemployment among Maoris .. 74,079 17 5 Carried forward .. .. .. 4,864,758 11 5 Carried forward .. 3,911,207 19 6 112,555 2 7

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UNEMPLOYMENT FUND —continued. Receipts and Payments Account fop. Year ended 31st March, 1934—continued. £ s d £ s cl £ s cl Brought forward .. .. .. 4,864,758 11 5 Brought forward .. 3,911,207 19 6 112,555 2 7 By Grants, &c.—continued. Relief of unemployment among women .. 11,410 0 0 Relief of unemployment among boys .. 1,132 13 1 Payments on account of insurance of relief workers .. .. 8,628 11 1 Miscellaneous grants and subsidies .. .. 39,806 18 10 3,972,186 2 6 Loans under section 18, Unemployment Act, 1930 .. 20,919 7 3 Sustenance payments under section 20, Unemployment Act, 1930 .. .. 33,302 1 7 Purchase of food, clothing, &c., section 14, Unemployment Amendment Act, 1932— Purchase of foodstuffs by rationing system .. 49,668 16 0 Purchase of footwear .. 48,665 19 5 Purchase of blankets .. 2,940 6 3 Miscellaneous .. 3,003 4 2 104,278 5 10 Balance at end of year — Cash .. .. 552,911 1 2 Imprests outstanding .. 68,606 10 6 621,517 11 8 £4,864,758 11 5 £4,864,758 11 5 G. C. Godfrey, Commissioner of Unemployment. H. L. Bockett, A.R.A.N.Z., Accountant. I hereby certify that the Statement of Receipts and Payments has been duly examined and compared with the relative books and documents submitted for audit, and correctly states the position as disclosed thereby.— G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General. REGISTRATION UNDER THE ACT. At 31st March, 1934, there were some 493,000 males on the register kept by the Post and Telegraph Department in accordance with section 10 of the Unemployment Act. This figure represents an increase of approximately 12,000 registrations during the year, and includes all males aged twenty years or over ordinarily resident in New Zealand at the time the Act came into force, together with those males who have attained the age of twenty years since December, 1930, and males aged twenty years or over who subsequently arrived in the Dominion with the intention of becoming permanently resident. Excluded from this figure are those males who have died or have left the Dominion permanently after registration under the Act. In other words, the register is a fairly accurate record of all males aged twenty years or over (including Maoris) permanently domiciled in New Zealand at the date mentioned. It is used mainly as a basis for collection of special unemployment-relief taxation. CONTRIBUTORS TO THE FUND. About 87 per cent, of the males on the register mentioned in the preceding section are contributors to the Unemployment Fund by way of the general unemployment levy of £1 per annum. The actual number of individual instalments of the levy as received by the Post and Telegraph Department up to the 31st March, 1934, is shown in the following table : —

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Instalment Date. j Amount of Instalment. ContributoTs!" s. d. December, 1930 .. .. .. .. 7 6 428,514 March, 1931 .. .. .. .. 7 6 425,192 June, 1931 .. .. .. .. .. 7 6 424,230 August, 1931 .. .. .. .. .. 5 0 , 426,776 November, 1931 .. .. .. 5 0 426,169 February, 1932 .. .. .. .. 5 0 427,343 May, 1932 5 0 429,143 August, 1932 .. .. .. ■■ 5 0 430,157 November, 1932 .. .. 5 0 431,466 February, 1933 .. .. .. .. 5 0 431,762 May, 1933 .. .. .. .. .. 5 0 431,426 August, 1933 .. .. .. .. 5 0 428,818 November, 1933 .. .. .. .. 5 0 416,015 February, 1934 .. .. .. .. 5 0 382,201

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The apparent drop in number of contributors in respect of the February, 1934, instalment is a usual feature of these statistics. There is always a considerable number who do not effect payment of instalments within one month of the due date. Largely as a result of investigation by the Post and Telegraph Department, which collects the levy, and action by the Board in cases of default, the number of individual instalments from December, 1930, to February, 1933, recorded as paid up to 31st March, 1934, is in every case greater than that recorded a year previously. Very few of those liable for payment now escape their obligations in this respect. Some 12,000 Natives have elected to become contributors to the Unemployment Fund under the provisions of section 9 (1) (c) of the Unemployment Amendment Act, 1931, which amended the original Act. Natives within the meaning of the Native Land Act, 1931, are exempt from the levy unless they obtain the Board's permission to become contributors. The total male adult Maori population is approximately 17,300. Every person in receipt of salary or wages and of income from other sources (with certain statutory exemptions) contributes to the Fund by way of the emergency unemployment charge, to which reference is made in another section of the report. It is proposed to introduce amending legislation shortly to afford some relief from payment of special unemployment taxation by many of those whose circumstances are little better than those who are obliged to seek assistance from the Fund. EXEMPTIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS. (a) General Unemployment Levy. Exemptions from payment of instalments of the levy, as provided for in the Act and Regulations and recorded up to 31st March, 1934, are as follows : — Total Exemptions (including Maoris, old-age pensioners and other aged males with small means, persons suffering from permanent physical and mental incapacity, &c.) .. .. •• ■■ 32,604

Partial Exemptions.

The value of instalments not collected because of partial exemption, as indicated above, represents a sum of approximately £45,000. In lieu of granting exemption from payment of the levy on the grounds of hardship, the Board has exercised its power in postponing the date of payment, without penalty, in 6,547 cases. By a recent decision of the Board, relief workers employed on a part-time basis by local bodies, or on a full-time basis in camps or at gold prospecting but not receiving standard rates of pay, and registered unemployed in receipt of sustenance payments, are to be exempted from payment of fourfifths of the general unemployment levy. They must have been eligible for relief for at least one month prior to the due date of each instalment. Such men will, therefore, in future, pay Is. per quarter instead of ss. This exemption by Order in Council, which was published in the New Zealand Gazette No. 57, of 26th July, 1934, takes effect as from the instalment due on the Ist August, 1934. It is estimated that the relief afforded the unemployed in this direction will result in a reduction of £35,000 in the Board's revenue for 1934-35. (b) Emergency Unemployment Charge. Apart from the statutory exemptions from payment of the charge, over 3,500 applications for exemption from, or postponement of the date of, payment of the charge on the grounds of hardship have been dealt with by the Board since the last report. In 2,418 cases exemption from payment of one or more instalments was granted, whilst in 938 cases the due date or dates were postponed in order to give the applicants time to effect payment without incurring the penalties provided by the Act.

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°-3 3 o n v t i n t j g Is * <8 Cases o± Inmates of Inmates ,-g J •- . Merit,al nr Instalments. Mental of 4S & § a g Students. p , . , Hardship. Totals. Hospitals. Prisons, fto. f £ g « -2 Msabaity. * 1 A ; I December, 1930 .. .. 3,344 1,091 1,110 922 4,494 2,360 13,321 March, 1931 .. .. 3,578 1,155 716 1,000 3,662 3,221 13,332 June, 1931 .. .. 3,613 1,228 890 1,230 3,377 3,658 13,996 August, 1931 .. 3,668 1,486 541 818 3,009 3,821 13,343 November, 1931 .. 3,682 1,410 503 819 3,001 4,269 13,684 February, 1932 .. 3,734 1,151 613 683 2,875 3,587 12,643 May, 1932 .. .. 3,738 1,158 486 924 2,773 3,017 12,096 August, 1932 .. .. 3,738 1,179 431 899 2,745 2,360 11,352 November, 1932 .. 3,790 1,200 389 810 2,475 1,887 10,551 February, 1933 .. .. 3,844 1,082 400 675 2,567 1,641 10,209 May, 1933 .. .. 3,943 1,026 404 887 2,116 1,351 9,727 August, 1933 .. .. 3,984 1,012 431 859 2,298 778 : 9,362 November, 1933 .. 4,013 1,102 271 815 1,851 494 j 8,546 February, 1934 .. .. 4,033 1,070 206 435 1,201 161 ' 7,106 '

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COLLECTION OF EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT CHARGE. Cash payments of the wages-tax are made to permanent post-offices, which also are responsible for the sale of stamps. Out of a total of £2,891,715 received into the Unemployment Fund from the charge on salary or wages, £1,462,944 was paid in cash and £1,428,771 accounted for by the sale of special relief-tax stamps. In October, 1932, inspectors were detailed to investigate the payment of wages-tax, and up to the 26th May, 1934, 41,192 inspections had been carried out, resulting in the recovery of £35,351 additional tax. The investigation of taxpayers' records for the payment of emergency unemployment charge on " other income " is being carried out by Land and Income Tax Department Inspectors during the course of their own inspections. Quite a number of persons, however, while exempt from the payment of income-tax, are liable for the payment of unemployment charge on " other income." The Board has recently appointed a number of qualified accountants to investigate the declarations of these persons, and the results obtained to date fully justify their appointment. While the majority of breaches are due to ignorance of the law, or to insufficient records being kept, it has been found in some cases that taxpayers have deliberately avoided payment of the tax. In these cases prosecutions have been taken. MAORIS. Reference was made in the Board's report for 1933 of administrative co-operation between the Unemployment Board and the Native Land Settlement Board with the object of utilizing the labour of unemployed Maoris in the development of their own lands. At the beginning of the financial year it was decided to finance such Maori unemployment schemes as were designed to relieve the Unemployment Board's existing relief schemes of Natives who were then eligible for relief thereunder. To this end grants totalling some £78,000 were made to the Native Department for schemes calculated to absorb Maori unemployed in those districts where unemployment among the Native race was acute. Close contact has been maintained between the two Boards through Mr. J. S. Jessep, late DeputyChairman of the Unemployment Board, who is also a member of the Native Land Settlement Board. The actual expenditure from the Unemployment Fund during the financial year on schemes for relieving unemployment among Maoris in the direction referred to was £74,080. EXPENDITURE ON UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF IN RECENT YEARS. The cost to the State for the provision of unemployment relief measures in recent years is shown by the following figures :—

It will be noted that expenditure by " Other Departments " shows a substantial increase in the last financial year. This is mainly due to settlement of unemployed workers on the land under the control of the Lands and Survey Department. NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED. The total number of men either wholly or partly a charge on the Unemployment Fund at the end of June, 1934, is 8,890 fewer than at the end of June, 1933, and this in spite of the fact that the peak figure of approximately 75,000 receiving assistance from the Fund occurred between these two dates. The movement over a period of three years commencing June, 1931, may be better understood from an inspection of the graph reproduced in the Appendix to this report. The table accompanying the graph has been compiled from available data, and the figures quoted therein agree with the various totals in Table II back to October, J 933. Prior to this date, the published tables in previous reports did not dissect Scheme No. 5 workers according to whether they were employed on part-time or full-time work (except for gold-prospectors). It has been possible, however, to ascertain the numbers workingfull time in country camps, &c., at each period and thus arrive at a fairly close estimate of the totals working full time and on a rationed basis over the last three years.

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Public Works Deowtments „ Department State Forest /•„„!,Subsidies to Unemployment Ta+ „i„ Year ' (including Main Service. N ( e " Local Bodies. Fund. lotals ' Highways). Railways). £ £ ! £ £ £ £ 1926-27 .. 130,000 14,240 .. .. 144,240 1927-28 .. 379,565 27,550 .. 75,106 .. 482,221 1928-29 .. 680,393 50,250 3,500 68,566 .. 802,709 1929-30 .. 914,109 185,400 ' 204,464 111,728 .. 1,415,701 1930-31 .. 1,249,446 82,000 21,933 116,768 313,209 1,783,356 1931-32 .. 886,953 74,000 14,684 11,478 2,216,886 3,204,001 1932-33 .. 484,554 .. 12,088 216 3,687,897 4,184,755 1933-34 .. 355,691 2,000 185,906 .. 4,130,686 4,674,283 Totals .. 5,080,711 435,440 442,575 j 383,862 10,348,678 16,691,266

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This provides by far the most reliable indication of the movement in numbers of " unemployed " during the peak years of unemployment in New Zealand. The comparative position at the end of each quarter during this period is shown in the following summary :—

Total Numbers either wholly or partly a Charge on the Unemployment Fund.

The only satisfactory method of reviewing unemployment figures over a longer period, expecially prior to the constitution of the Unemployment Board, is to take the numbers remaining on the registers of Government Employment Bureaux at the end of each week. A certain amount of comparative value is lost because the more recent figures include Scheme No. 5 workers who are employed full time with a subsidy from the Unemployment Fund. These are retained on the registers for reasons explained in the previous report. In Table I of the Appendix will be found the numbers remaining on the registers at the end of each week from October, 1933, to the first week in July, 1934, inclusive. The numbers registered in each urban area are shown separately. A general summary of the totals on the registers at the end of each month since January, 1930, appears below:—

* This number recorded just prior to Christmas. In the following week the figure dropped to 7,596, owin<* to the placing of a considerable number of men on a special temporary scheme. These figures show month by month the numbers actually on the registers, whether receiving relief or not, and have no connection with the total number of recipients of relief from the Unemployment lund. Table IV in the Appendix dissects these figures to show registered unemployed receiving relief as distinct from, applicants who are ineligible or unplaced. In examining Tables II and 111 and the graph reproduced in this report, it should be noted that the retention in the unemployment figures of those workers engaged in industry with the aid of subsidies from the Unemployment Fund has the effect of exaggerating the unemployment position. It would be easier to understand this if it is pointed out that the unemployment figures for November, 1933, totalling 72,306, included 8,387 building tradesmen and labourers employed full-time on works subsidized under Scheme No. 10. It may be true to say that had it not been for the operation of Scheme No. 10 the majority of these men would have had to depend upon part-time labour on one or other of the Board's relief schemes, and it is certainly true to say that their employment on these jobs incurred a payment from the Unemployment Fund, but by no stretch of the imagination could these men be regarded as unemployed. The same circumstances apply to the workers engaged on farm schemes, &c., subsidized by the Unemployment Board. Attention is therefore directed to the graph accompanying this report, the middle line of which may be taken as the most reliable indication of the numbers of genuinely unemployed males at the dates mentioned. FARM SUBSIDY SCHEMES. During the financial year ended 31st March, 1934, the Unemployment Board expended an amount of £145,915 under Scheme No. 4a. The number of men employed on farms under this and other subsidy schemes at the end of each four weeks during the period under review will be

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Annual Increase or Decrease. End of Quarter. 1931. 1932. 1933. 1934. r — ; : 1931-32. 1932-33. j 1933-34. March .. .. .. 47,520 61,067 62,114 .. 13,547 1,047 June .. .. 44,400 61,200 69,523 60,633 16,800 8,323 - 8's90 September .. 46,990 67,110 75,134 .. 20,120 8,024 December .. 47,285 64,082 67,740 .. 16,797 3,658 — Denotes a decrease.

1930. i 1931. i' 1932. 1833. ! 1934. _ i I ] Last week in— January.. .. .. 2,572 16,607 45,654 51,698 46,527 February.. .. .. 2,520 27,662 44,107 49,971 45,125 March .. .. .. 3,130 38,028 45,383 51,035 44,441 A P ril •• 3,379 36,981 50,093 53,171 45,052 May .. .. .. 5,084 42,523 53,543 55,477 45,952 June .. .. .. 5,491 45,264 54,342 56,563 48,393 July .. .. .. 5,360 47,772 55,837 57,169 August .. .. .. 5,463 50,033 56,332 56,750 September .. .. 6,025 51,375 55,728 56,173 October .. .. .. 6,018 50,284 54,549 54,173 November .. .. 7,402 47,535 52,477 50,140 December .. .. 11,371* 45,140 52,523 48,334

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found in Table II in the Appendix. The increase in the rate of subsidy payable under Scheme No. 4b and the advantages offered generally by that scheme are now more widely known among farmers, and to the more extensive use of that scheme by farmers may be attributed the decline in operations under Scheme No. 4a. An interesting return taken out during the year shows to what extent farmers employing labour under Scheme No. 4a are assisting the workers by paying wages over and above the subsidy granted by the Board. In just over 1,000 cases of married workers employed on the scheme the average weekly subsidy from the Unemployment Fund was 19s. Bd. and the average weekly additional wage paid by the farmer was 13s. 6d., making a total remuneration of £1 13s. 2d. per week, in addition, of course, to food and accommodation provided by the employer. Out of nearly 2,500 cases of single men employed, the average weekly subsidy was 9s. sd. and the average weekly additional wage paid by the farmer Bs. 5d., making a total of 17s. lOd. per week, plus food and accommodation. Taking married and single men together the averages in nearly 3,500 cases examined were as follows : 12s. sd. subsidy ; 9s. lid. paid by farmer : total remuneration £1 2s. 4d. per week, plus food and accommodation. Work done under Scheme No. 4a is limited strictly to developmental or other work which would not, in the ordinary course of events, be carried out by labour engaged solely at the expense of the farmer. From fairly extensive inquiries made by the Board it would appear that the rates of remuneration quoted above compare very favourably with the average wages paid to farm labourers at the present time where no subsidy is received from the Unemployment Fund. The average for general farm hands appears to be between £1 and £1 10s. per week, and for general hands on dairy-farms it ranges from 15s. to £1 ss. per week. It will be seen, therefore, that developmental work carried out under Scheme No. 4a comes within the category of full-time subsidized employment in industry. The Farm Camp Scheme, a modification of Scheme No. 4a, is designed to place workers with farmers who have developmental work to do, but who cannot afford to meet the cost of feeding the men employed. A small camp of at least four single men is set up on a property, and the Board, in addition to paying the men the rate of subsidy of 10s. per week, pays the farmer an allowance towards food costs. At the 30th June, 1934, some 3,000 men had been employed under the Farm Camp Scheme, and the number of men in farm camps on that date was 259. During the year, the Unemployment Board instituted more searching investigations into the ability of employers to engage labour under Scheme No. 4a in the ordinary way, and, as a result, a considerable amount of labour has been diverted from the Farm Camp Scheme to Scheme No. 4a or placed under the Farm Camp Scheme at a reduced rate of ration allowance. Activities under Scheme No. 4b where the Board meets one-half of the labour cost of contracts for development work on farms show a decided increase. From the inception of the scheme to the 30th June, 1934, 5,063 contracts had been completed and 10,840 men paid off, while 2,712 contracts to employ a further 6,963 men, remained to be carried out. The grand total of engagements under this scheme since its inception is therefore 17,803, while the estimated total amount of subsidies expended and authorized from the inception of the scheme to the 31st March, 1934, was £195,053. The works carried out under the scheme are of a definitely developmental nature, calculated to increase the primary production —and thus the national wealth—of the Dominion, as will be seen from the following statement of operations carried out, or to be carried out, under contracts which have been approved :■ — Acres. Scrubcutting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 391,162 Bushfelling .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 37,663 Stumping, grubbing, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 26,342 Sowing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,313 Ploughing and harrowing . . .. .. .. .. .. 5,257 Top-dressing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,065 Chains. Fencing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 109,922 Draining .. .. .. .. .. .. 89,844 Eoading .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,388 Splitting posts, battens and strainers — Number. Posts and strainers .. .. .. .. .. .. 229,600 Battens .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 250,360 It is estimated that, as a result of the works itemized above, the land concerned will carry an additional 435,316 sheep, 71,293 cattle, and 468 pigs. Scheme No. 11, for rabbit destruction, was closed in September, 1933, and reopened the followingmonth, operating at amended rates of subsidy through voluntary local rabbit committees. In view of the high prices obtaining for rabbit-skins consequent upon the cold winter, the scheme was closed in practically all districts from May last. The prices realized at rabbit-skin sales are being closely watched by the Unemployment Board which may reopen the scheme if such a course is found to be justified. The number of workers who have been employed for varying periods under this scheme is 3,562.

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CAMP SCHEMES. Valuable improvement and developmental work is still being done by relief labour, botli single and married men, employed under camp schemes. The establishment costs of these camps, supervision, tools, &c„ are usually provided by the Department of State or local body under whose control the work is being carried out, the Board providing a contribution towards the running-costs of the camps The State Forest Service continues to absorb a fair number of men during the tree-planting season, and the afforestation work being done will in years to come undoubtedly result in the building-up of a national asset of considerable value, and certainly provides a most useful avenue for the placement of unemployed labour. . The State Forest Service, Lands and Survey Department, Public Works Department, and Mam Highways Board are the principal State Departments under whose control relief camps have been established. The Lands and Survey Department is chiefly concerned with land-drainage and development of Crown land generally, and the Public Works Department and the Mam Highways Board with the improvement of existing roads and main highways. The Public Works Department is, however, controlling a number of camp workers who are engaged in land clearing on private property in various parts of the Dominion. It is a condition of such jobs that the property-owners contribute towards the cost of the work to the extent of their means. Preference is always given to the most useful class of work and all Public Works subsidized jobs of this nature are carried out on the contract system whereby the contract rates are estimated to return a specified weekly amount to the workers. _ The number of men engaged under camp schemes at the end of each four weeks during the period now under review will be found in Table II in the Appendix. These numbers are not, however, a true indication of the number of relief workers who are actually encamped on the jobs where they are placed. Many local bodies have men working full time at special rates allocated through Scheme No. 5, and most of these are doing land-improvement work in camps established and supervised at the expense of the local body or farmers who benefit from the work. Also the majority of gold-prospectors are living in camps. Altogether it is estimated there are 15,000 men in camps set up under the Board's various schemes. GOLD MINING AND PROSPECTING. The numbers of men mining and prospecting for gold on a subsidized basis under the control of the Unemployment Board since the presentation of the Board's last report has not varied to any great extent. At the end of October, 1933, there were 4,000 men so engaged, and this number has been more or less maintained since. A slight decrease in the winter months is to be expected, but the totals would have been higher but for men becoming self-supporting through winning sufficient gold to render unemployment-relief assistance unnecessary. The approaching summer should see many more reaping the benefit of the development work they have done during the last year or so. Many of these workers have won sufficient gold to repay to the Board all the subsidy and other assistance granted. The reason why more men have not reached this stage may be ascribed to the fact that operations of subsidized parties of prospectors have generally been directed towards areas that were more or less successfully prospected in past years but were abandoned when the attraction of high wages in industry generally and the low price of gold in comparison with present-day prices made it uneconomic to work such areas. In spite of this, subsidized prospectors are now augmenting their subsidy annually to the extent of gold valued at over £50,000. Excluding those men who have not yet reached the production stage, the Board's records show that weekly winnings in gold average from 10s._ to £1 10s. per man. Under the control of engineers and experienced supervisors, and with the co-operation of the Mines and Public Works Departments, quite a number of major development schemes have been put in hand. Having selected promising areas (some of which have never previously been prospected) men are put on to improve access, then to test the area by sinking shafts, driving tunnels, &c., and in some cases to construct races to bring in water. They are paid a little more than the subsidy for such work. Should the tests prove that payable gold is present, the men who have done the development work are given first choice of selecting claims. It is confidently anticipated that organized development of auriferous areas will bear fruit during the coming year, and many more men will go off relief as a result. More and more attention is now being given, however, to the development of extensive low-grade reefing measures, deep-lead alluvial and other deposits that cannot be tested or worked without up-to-date machinery. The Board is in close touch with modern scientific methods of testing likely areas, and to this end a special committee has recently been set up to control operations on a properly planned basis. . , . The personnel of the committee comprises the Secretary of the Department of scientific ana Industrial Research, the Under-Secretary of Mines, and the Deputy-Chairman of the Unemployment Board. A sum of £5,000 has been set aside by the Board to meet the expenses of preliminary geological and geophysical testing of promising new fields. Potential auriferous areas will then be prospected by boring, shaft-sinking, &c., and developed either by unemployed labour under the Mines Department and Unemployment Board or by private enterprise, if the prospects are encouraging and sufficient men can be absorbed in the work.

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The net expenditure by the Board during the financial year 1933-34 in fostering gold mining and prospecting amongst unemployed men was £198,334, of which £7,293 was expended in subsidizing wages of men taken on by companies or syndicates and employed full time. Companies availing themselves of assistance under this scheme (No. 8b) are under agreement with the Board to refund all assistance granted from the Unemployment Fund before any dividends are paid or their interests disposed of to other companies. One company recently, in refunding to the Board all the assistance granted in accordance with their agreement, stated that it was only the timely and practical assistance made available which enabled the company to continue their mining operations, and, in doing so, to provide regular weekly employment for thirty men who would otherwise have been on part-time relief. As a result of the work carried out by this subsidized labour, gold-production at the mine was more than doubled, and further development work now possible will absorb a number of additional men. In this and other instances, substantial benefits have accrued both from the viewpoint of employment and to the mining industry. SMALL-FARM PLAN. The Small-farm Plan is administered by the Small Farms Board, but the Unemployment Board continues to assist in its operation by providing sustenance allowances for occupiers where it is established that they are not yet self-supporting. The maximum rate of sustenance, allowance is £1 per week, and the term thereof is limited to thirteen weeks, except in certain cases, where the position may be reviewed. Assistance from the Unemployment Fund in this direction during the financial year 1933-34 amounted to £16,476. Administrative co-operation between the two Boards is maintained through the appointment to the Small Farms Board of Mr. G. C. Godfrey, Commissioner of Unemployment, wee Mr. J. S. Jessep, late Deputy-Chairman of the Unemployment Board. FULL-TIME WORK AT STANDARD OR AWARD RATES. For the last two years the Board has been subsidizing the employment of men taken from the register of unemployed and placed on full-time work at ruling or award rates of pay. Until recently this form of "relief work" was limited chiefly to land-development and road-metalling jobs put m hand by the Public Works Department and Main Highways Board, and to gold-mining by companies and syndicates under Scheme No. Bb. In every case the Board had to be satisfied, before approving a subsidy, that the work could not lie done with the finances available to the employing authority. Having satisfied itself on this point, the Board would approve a wages subsidy based usually on the existing Scheme No. 5 allocation. This had the effect of transferring relief labour from work on a rationed basis, and probably of little value, to normal full-time work m industry Increasing numbers of men were found employment in this direction, and the Board sought ways and means of extending this policy as a major step towards a solution of the unemployment problem. Certain secondary industries have been granted subsidized labour, but the field is not sufficiently laige at this juncture to make an appreciable difference in the numbers on relief. The Building Subsidy Scheme, of course, has a close connection with this policy, but the basis of subsidy is dissimilar. However, this scheme is dealt with in another section of the report. _ The primary industries have done a great deal to absorb relief labour m full-time work on a subsidized basis. This is evidenced by the numbers provided with work under the various farm subsidy schemes, the majority being employed in circumstances which place them in comparatively the same position from a monetary standpoint as ordinary workers in the primary industries In the principal centres of population, and to a certain extent m rural districts, the Board is looking to local employing authorities for co-operation in employing relief labour at ruling rates of pay for full-time work. . . , Numbers of local bodies have made special efforts to put m hand new works such as street and footpath improvement, drainage, water-supply, &c. If they are unable to finance the whole cost of such work the Board, to enable the work to proceed, will come to their assistance by subsidizing the wages of relief workers, who must be employed at standard or award rates for a working-week of not less than forty hours. The Board's subsidy is not hard and fast, but is based principally upon the amount of funds which the employing authorities are able to find. Other relevant factors are, of course, taken into consideration. The advantage accruing to the men under this arrangement is obvious They have the opportunity of getting back to work under normal conditions instead of remaining on rationed work, and, incidentally, the Unemployment Fund is augmented to the extent of the wages-tax payable. Valuable community work is being_ completed m this manner m various parts of the Dominion, and it is hoped many more local bodies will submit similar proposals. SCHEME NO. 5 : WORK ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. Shortly after the inception of Scheme N O . sit was agreed that unemployed labour might advantageously be utilized in improving and developing farm lands, and the assistance extended by the Board in this direction has been extensively availed of by farmers whose financial circumstances would otherwise have necessitated an indefinite postponement of development work really necessary to obtain full benefit from the land. . , Where farmers were in a position to contribute towards the wages cost of relief labour employed on their properties they were required to do so, but a contribution from the farmer or owner of the property was not made a mandatory condition to the placement of relief labour on the improvement or development of privately owned farm lands.

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However, as the scheme for placing relief labour on private property, generally referred to as Scheme No. 5 " Over the Fence," became firmly established, it was increasingly evident that many farmers who should have been, and probably were, in a position to contribute some proportion of the cost of improvements effected to their properties were declining to contribute any portion of the cost and were more or less inclined to expect relief labour to be made available to them for the improvement of their properties without any return whatever being asked by the Board. It was decided, therefore, that as from the beginning of 1934 any persons wishing to employ relief labour for the improvement or development of privately owned land should, except in specially approved cases, agree to refund to the Unemployment Board at least 25 per cent, of the wages cost of labour supplied, and the following table showing the contributions received or agreed upon by farmers availing themselves of the assistance of relief labour under this scheme indicates that the scheme is working most satisfactorily : — 1934. £ January .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 234 February .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 361 March .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 531 April . . . . .. . . .. . . .. .. 405 May .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 445 June .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 580 Total for six months .. .. .. .. .. .. £2,556 The class of work which may be undertaken on private property with the assistance of relief labour is restricted to developmental work on farm lands, such as bushfelling, scrub-cutting, rush-grubbing, stumping and logging, cutting new drains or improving existing drains, clearing noxious weeds, fencing, and such other developmental work as will definitely increase the carrying-capacity of the farm. BUILDING SUBSIDY SCHEMES. Scheme No. 10, of which a full description was given in the Unemployment Board's last preceding report, is now in process of closing down. Applications for subsidies were received only up to and inclusive of 12th September, 1933, and work now being done under the scheme consists of jobs of considerable magnitude, the completion of which must necessarily extend over a comparatively long period, or of smaller jobs in respect of which the Board has, for sufficient reasons, postponed the date of commencement. A total of 12,014 applications were received under the scheme, and of these 11,195 were approved and 819 declined. Of those approved, approximately 2,500 jobs were, for various reasons, not proceeded with, and the subsidies granted in respect of them were accordingly cancelled. The total amount of subsidy paid to date is £273,247, while that remaining to be paid is estimated at £174,671, and at present claims for subsidy are being met at the rate of about £3,000 per week. The total value of work originally proposed to be done under the scheme was £5,839,555, but this has been reduced by cancellations and other causes to £3,920,409. Of this figure, it is estimated that direct and indirect wages (to New Zealand workers) on jobs completed or to be completed will amount to £3,410,755. The House-building Subsidy Scheme (No. 12) has been launched with the object of again giving the building trade a necessary stimulus and thereby creating work. Under the scheme persons considering the erection of new dwellings, or additions to existing dwellings, are encouraged to proceed with the work immediately by the offer of a subsidy. Applications in respect of residential flats (irrespective of capital cost) and applications in respect of dwelling-houses (the estimated capital cost of which is over £1,000) will also be received and considered on their merits. The Unemployment Board will also be willing to negotiate with local authorities with a view to the elimination of slum areas and rebuilding on modern lines. The method of apportioning the subsidy in this case will be materially different from that adopted under the previous building scheme, and the subsidy will now be based at the rate of Is. per square foot of all new and totally enclosed floor space, computed on overall measurement over external walls. In the case of any building the subsidy payable shall not exceed 8 per cent, of the contract price, with a maximum subsidy for a single dwelling of £80. One of the conditions of this scheme ensures the use of New Zealand materials wherever practicable, and, following the procedure adopted under Scheme No. 10, the approved subsidy may be reduced subsequently, or even cancelled, if certain imported materials are used. UNEMPLOYED WOMEN AND GIRLS. The policy of granting relief to unemployed female wage-earners through the medium of local Women's Unemployment Committees has been maintained, and very good service has been rendered by these committees in providing a measure of relief assistance to unemployed women and girls through the medium of training-centres. The committees keep in constant touch with prospective employers, and have been very successful in finding permanent and temporary positions for large numbers of women and girls. In fact, the committees generally report that there is little difficulty in finding suitable work for any applicant who has had a reasonable amount of experience in the various avenues of employment. This is evident by the fact that during the month of April, 1934, the committees in the four main centres placed in permanent and temporary employment a total of 215 women and girls.

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During the financial year ended 31st March, 1934, the Board made grants to Women's Unemployment Committees totalling £11,410. A statistical summary of the registrations, &c., in the four main centres for the month of April, 1934, is as follows : — Previous Occupation. Registrations. Previous Ocoupation. Registrations. Office work .. .. 32 Housemaids and waitresses .. 24 Shop assistants . . .. 36 Nursing .. .. ■ • 12 Factory employees .. .. 82 Other . . . . 56 Domestic work .. .. 210 Cook-generals . . . . 26 Total .. . . 478 Age Groups. Registrations. Age Groups. Registrations. Sixteen to twenty .. ..274 j Over forty .. .. .. 75 Twenty-one to twenty-five 56 I Twenty-six to thirty 35 ! Total .. .. 478 Thirty-one to forty .. .. 38 As a guide to its policy in connection with unemployment relief for women and girls, the Board has maintained its reliance on the advice of a special Women's Advisory Committee. This committee made a further detailed investigation of the position during the latter part of 1933. UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS. Exceptionally fine work has been carried out during the past year by Boy Unemployment Committees in finding work for unemployed youths. During the twelve months ended 31st March, 1934, positions have been found for 4,783 boys, and, while some of the positions are of a temporary nature, the results reflect considerable credit on the efforts of the voluntary committees which have been set up to deal with this difficult problem. The Unemployment Board has continued to assist committees by making grants for the purpose of meeting administration, expenses, and during the year ended 31st March, 1934, £1,542 was granted to various committees for this purpose. The Board has also continued the payment of a subsidy for the training of sons of New Zealand soldiers at Flock House ; in addition, over 600 boys between the ages of eighteen and twenty years have been placed on farms, their wages, being subsidized from the Unemployment Fund, and a limited number of boys of sixteen years of age or over have been in receipt of training on farms under Scheme No. 7. ISSUE OF BOOTS AND BLANKETS TO RELIEF WORKERS. The issue of working-boots to relief workers employed under the Board's various schemes has proceeded satisfactorily, and up to the 31st March, 1934, 59,000 pairs of boots had been distributed. The Board, realizing the necessity of relief workers being provided with adequate footwear, particularly those men engaged in gold-prospecting, drainage works, and other such occupations, decided to make a further issue during the present year. Tenders were therefore called amongst bootmanufacturers throughout New Zealand, and orders have been placed with twenty-two firms for the manufacture of 30,000 pairs of boots. It is very gratifying to report that, of the 66,000 pairs of boots manufactured last year, no genuine complaints were* received regarding the quality of the footwear. This speaks highly of the standard set by the Board and of the workmanship and quality of the footwear produced by the various bootmanufacturers Towards the end of last year the Board purchased 5,500 pairs of grey blankets for issue to relief workers employed in camps. It became apparent that quite a number of relief workers employed in forestry and other camps were inadequately supplied with blankets, and, as the workers in the majority of cases were not in a position to purchase blankets themselves, the Board decided to make issues where necessary. These blankets become the property of the men after they have remained in camp for one month. Up to the 30th June, 1934, 2,000 pairs of blankets had actually been issued. The issue of blankets has been keenly appreciated by the workers and has considerably increased their comfort in the camps. J. A. Young, Chairman. W. Bromley, Deputy-Chairman. P. R. Climie, \ . G. A. Pascoe, /Members. G. C. Godfrey, Member, and Commissioner of Unemployment.

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APPENDIX,

Table I. —Showing Numbers remaining on Registers of Government Employment Bureaux at end of each Week, October, 1933, to 7th July, 1934.

Note.—The above figures include all men receiving relief under Scheme No. 5 (both part-time and full-time) and men in receipt of sustenance without work, but do not include those men transferred from the Registers to farm subsidy and other relief schemes. See Table 11, and letterpress under heading " Numbers of Unemployed " at page 7.

14

Urban Areas. a +§ g j g ■§§ Week g 0 * w * '3 o o ' rj . 3 h 2 2? m i , ended g $ g . el to to rt -wR H * S m ° Totals. fH I o «* d el ™ fcj r 3 S «3 r2<ii CM i § ! -a 3 SI « l| 3 I -5 § I § S |S * M 03 |S ~ "S £ 0> ,3 0 ā §l> S 53 I K ® _£ w s £ £__ h fill ° 1933. i I Oct. 7 .. 11,269 576 1,130 1,130 864 589 1,403 1,227 6,930 572 6,087 769 1 3,303 854 36,703 18,949 55,652 „14 .. 11,177 547 1,152 1,105 846 582 1,387 1,211 6,917 560 6,084 763. 3,283 799 36,413 18,822 55,235 „21 .. 11,115 543 1,144 1,083 830 588 1,364 1,186 6,917 557 6.091 755 3.256 792 36,221 18,573 54 794 „28 .. 10,987 544 1,175 1,041 794 584 1,360 1,171 6,886 554 5,992 745! 3,232 803 35,868 18,305 54,173 Nov. 4 .. 10,895 528 1,123 998 707 579 1,346 1,184 6,842 547 6,006 726 3,193 789 35,463 17,510 52,973 „ 11 .. 10,795 483 1,088 961 664 555 1,273 1,192 6,786 538 5,994 722 3,160 775 34,986 17,155 52 141 „ 18 .. 10,578 467 1,054 921 647 551 1,252 1,158 6,675 540 5,908' 700 3,100 782 34,333 16,842 51'175 „ 25 .. 10,434 439 954 895 626 546 1,213 1,142 6,585 522 5,878 696 2,999 750 33,679 16,461 50,140 Dec. 2 .. 10,239 415 945 858 605 553 1,173 1,152 6,542 532 5,830 686 2,947 745 33,222 16 284 49 506 „9 .. 10,080 381 858 829 587 549 1,136 1,164 6,388 536 5,877 677 2,904 741 32,707 15,996 48*703 „ 16 .. 9,906 400 855 826 588 543 1,094 1,161 6,331 524 5,873 638 2,874 726 32,339 15,898 48'237 „ 23 .. 9,818 409 841 792 578 545 1,093 1,161 6,309 531 5,875 639 2,878 736 32,205 15,909 48,114 „ 30 .. 9,857 415 841 792 583 545 1,107 1,161 6,364 541 5,907 620 2,877 742 32,352 15,982 48,334 1934. Jan. 6 .. 9,948 385 786 792 589 542 1,108 1,165 6,337 563 5,788 634| 2,895 764 32,296 15,864 48 160 „ 13 .. 10,073 375 767 810 574 545 1,140 1,161 6,382 580 5,857 643 2,900 782 32,589 15,873 48 462 „ 20 .. 10,186 388 738 783 577 543 1,096 1,162 6,379 580 5,838 621 2,835 680 32,406 15 440 47 846 „ 27 .. 10,085 383 344 778 596 540 1,027 1,147 6,308 584 5,663 61112,797 620 31,483 15,044 46*527 Feb. 3 .. 10,069 346 356 766 609 538 1,028 1,108 6,290 527 5,639 602 2,799 610 31,287 14 810 46 097 „ 10 .. 9,978 343 351 758 600 543 992 1,111 6,248 509 5,632 592 2,752 644 31,053 14 338 45'39! „ 17 .. 10,010 370 296 745 620 553 1,030 1,102 6,249 493 5,481 583 2,707 623 30,862 14,357 45 219 „ 24 .. 9,901 368 592 762 630 550 1.039 1,106 6,202 500 5,437 576 2,710 611 30,984 14 141 45 125 Mar. 3 .. 9,938 391 709 790 618 541 1,050 1,109 6,199 494 5,384 582 2,674 611 31 090 14 103 45'l93 „ 10 .. 9,928 404 731 796 544 549 1,048 1,115 6,143 477 5,378 563 2,588 618 30,882 14,'011 44*893 „ 17 .. 9,813 392 710 827 530 546 1,057 1,117 6,072 494 5,442 568 2,573 620 30,761 14,060 44,821 „ 24 .. 9,470 378 730 821 497 540 1,040 1,121 6,061 501 5,377 575 2,583 627 30,321 14,087 44*408 „ 31 .. 9,538 365 750] 821 481 529 1,028 1,093 6,049 502 5,384 585 2,582 620 30,327 14,114 44*441 April 7 .. 9,594 380 711 813 468 539 1,027 1,109 6,028 438 5,356 586 2,538 666 30,253 14Ī332 44 585 „ 14 .. 9,575 379 709 : 822 465 545 1,058 1,117 6,112 434 5,391 580 2,534 654 30,375 14 373 44 748 „ 21 .. 9,627 387 707; 855 468 543 1,057 1,147 6,100 463 5,445 567 2,530 665 30,561 14 413 44 974 „ 28 .. 9,582 369 765 884 486 557 1,057 1,134 6,113 483 5,460 562 2,569 678 30,699 14,353 45 052 May 5 .. 9,623 373 765 925 513 547 1,115 1,126 6,205 524 5,501 560 2,539 664 30,980 14,408 45,388 „ 12 .. 9,740 377 795 916 537 545 1,124 1,123 6,200 547 5,489 558 2,495 681 31,127 14 570 45 697 „ 19 .. 9,-715 377 769 904 552 530 1,162 1,128 6,252 570 5,522 573 2,500 667 31,221 14 630 45 851 „ 26 .. 9,713 403 748 893 546 530 1,172 1,129 6,222 565 5,562 587 2,458 686 31,214 14,738 4ō'952 June 2 .. 9,726 416 784 907 557 528 1,181 1,139 6,286 583 5,620 599 2,409 699 31,434 14 895 46 329 „ 9 .. 9.756 404 806 955 583 524 1,201 1,142 6,276 587 5,670 617 2,383 699 31,603 15,076 46*679 „ 16 .. 9,797 408 855 973 621 537 1,229 1,125 6,272 585 5.726 643 2,412 732 31,915 15 154 47 069 „ 23 .. 9,939 425 875 978 635 536 1,241 1,145 6,380 595 5,751 639 2,452! 716 32,307 15,325 47*632 „30 .. 10,276 434 867 981 628 538 1,254 1,148 6,469 600 5,798 648 2,473] 750 32,864 15,529 48,393 July 7 .. 10,471 452 899 1,004 616 534 1,271 1,150 6,614 602 5,887 692 2,503] 794 33,489 15,667 49,156 J J {__

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Table II. —Registered Unemployed and other Males either wholly or partly a Charge on the Unemployment Fund at the End of Successive Four-weekly Periods.

15

Period ended 28th Oct., 25th Nov. 23th Dec J 20th Jan., 17th Feb., 17th Mar., 14thi April, 12 th May, 9thJuno, j 7 th July, 1 1933. 1933. 1933. ! 1934. 1934. 1934. 1934. 1934. 1934. | 1934. (a) Men remaining on Registers of 2,911 2,671 2,533 3,635 3,208 3,273 3,377 3,656 3,407 4,178 Government Employment Bureaux and unplaced or ineligible for Belief " for various Seasons (b) Men remaining on Registers and. receiving Part-time Relief during Periocl Employed on rationed work under 42,717 39,025 36,906 35,933 33,216 32,555 32,173 32,613 33,126 33,o2o SipllPTTIf' T\Tr) 5 In receipt of sustenance without 888 897 964 1,087 1,573 1,793 2,046 2,350 2,718 3,628 W ° rk Totals .. .. 43,605 j 39,922 37,870 37,020 34,789 34,348 34,219 34,963 35,844 37,151 (c) Workers engaged in Industrial Undertakings whose Earnings were subsidized from the Unemployment Fund — _ 0 ,„ Intermittent workers (i.e., water- 715 694 614 479 404 157 -76 176 176 side workers, coal-miners, &o.) remaining on registers and granted supplementary assistance under Scheme No. 5 „ ,, Men remaining on registers and 3,709 3,663 3,690 3,339 3,495 3,529 3,4oo 3,4J2 3, , employed under Scheme No. 5 whose relief wages were supplemented for full-time work Fa sSxem°e rk No S "4A .. .. 4,055 3,792 3,307 3,090 3,022 2,754 2,665 2,787 3,116 3,325 Scheme No'4b .. 4 094 4,267 3,713 3,333 4,024 3,940 4,935 5,153 3,135 3,341 Other farm schemes .. 1 389 1,329 1,243 1,412 1,524 1,521 1,430 1 308 1,175 1,128 Building tradesmen and builders' 7,404 8,387 7,428 6,637 6,954 5,892 4,959 4,081 2,272 1,596 labourers under Scheme No. 10 Workers in Public Works Department, State Forest, and Local Body Camps under Scheme No. 6 (principally single Land n d7velopment .. 1,472 1,413 1,311 1,187 1.153 1,034 1,320 1,392 1,495 1,613 Highways and backblock roads 1,164 1,036 923 800 825 933 907 991 765 836 Afforestation .. .. 987 646 612 524 542 617 654 679 667 805 Workers employed by Public Works Department at standard rates of pay (principally .. "" 711 781 803 926 1,030 1,117 824 959 971 951 Roads 1,830 1,995 2,067 2,067 2,312 2,323 2,323 2,088 1,966 1,672 General " !! •• •• 270 252 235 218 207 179 174 155 144 Gold miners and prospectors — „ Subsidized men, supervisors, 3,233 3,190 3,407 3,373 3,323 3,414 _ 3,421.. 3,410 3, . , , &c„ remaining on registers under Scheme No. 5 1A _ ,., Subsidized men in parties under 668 684 281 244 236 124 Scheme No. 8a ,, an Ka Employed by companies and 112 100 72 44 49 34 87 syndicates under Scheme No. Qt) Miscellaneous .. .. 137 147 146_ 80_ 36 64_ 72_ 75 Totals .. ■■ 31,641 32,384 29,870 j 27,836 29,191 27,766 27,583 26,921 23,386 23,482 (d) Total Number of Males who were 75,246 72,306 67,740 64,856 63,980 62,114 61,802, 61,884 59,230 60,633 wholly or partly a Charge on the Unemployment Fund Note. Maoris employed on development schemes under the control of the Native Department are excluded from this table.

H,— 35

Table III.—Numbers and Proportions of Males receiving Relief from the Unemployment Fund, 30th June, 1931, to 7th July, 1934.

Graph showing Numbers of Males receiving relief from the Unemployment Fund, June, 1931, to July, 1934.

16

Me wTthAsIsfatcXm Vn n om Stry * Receipt of Part-time TotaI dumber of Men wholly or ; WithA^S'S tlDem - Belief Work or Sustenance. | Per T C o e tl' 0f — Kamber , | PerC^,o f 1931. I | June 30 .. .. 6,400 14-4 38,000 85-6 ! 44,400 100-0 September 30 .. .. j 3,090 8-5 43,000 91-5 46,990 100-0 December 31 .. .. : 7,985 16-9 I 39,300 83-1 j 47,283 100-0 1932. I j March 31 .. .. 10,520 22-1 | 37,000 77-9 47,520 100-0 June 30 .. .. 1 17,350 28-3 ! 43,850 71-7 ! 61,200 100-0 September 30 .. .. j 22,010 32-8 1 45,100 67-2 67,110 100-0 October 29 .. .. ! 21,732 33-0 44,033 67-0 I 65,765 100-0 November 26 .. .. 21,155 33-0 42,808 | 67-0 63,963 100-0 December 24 .. .. 20,976 32-7 . 43,106 ; 67-3 j 64,082 100-0 1933. | I January 21 .. .. 19,581 31-8 | 42,012 i 68-2 1 61,593 100-0 February 18 .. .. 20,510 33-9 39,963 66-1 | 60,473 100-0 March 18 .. .. 21,193 34-7 39,874 ; 65-3 ! 61,067 100-0 April 15 .. .. 21,997 34-9 40,946 ! 65-1 , 62,943 100-0 May 13 .. .. 22,117 34-2 42,585 , 65-8 ! 64,702 100-0 June 10 .. .. 23,279 34-7 43,837 65-3 67,116 100-0 July 8 .. .. 24,219 34-8 45,304 65-2 ! 69,523 100-0 Augusta .. .. 27,217 37-3 45,749 j 62-7 72,966 100-0 September 2 .. .. 28,411 38-3 45,699 I 61-7 74,110 100-0 September 30 .. .. 30,391 40-4 44,743 59-6 75,134 100-0 October 28 .. .. 31,641 42-1 43,605 57-p , 75,246 100-0 November 25 .. .. 32,384 44-8 I 39,922 55-2 ! 72,306 100-0 December 23 .. .. 29,870 44-1 , 37,870 55-9 67,740 100-0 1934. January 20 .. .. 27,836 42-9 37,020 57-1 64,856 100-0 February 17 .. .. 29,191 45-6 34,789 ! 54-4 63,980 100-0 March 17 .. .. 27,766 44-7 34,348 55-3 62,114 100-0 April 14 .. .. 27,583 44-6 34,219 55-4 61,802 100-0 May 12 .. .. 26,921 43-5 ' 34,963 56-5 61.884 100-0 June 9 .. .. 23,386 39-5 35,844 60-5 59,230 100-0 July 7 .. 23,482 38-7 37,151 61-3 60,633 100-0

H.—36

Table IV.—Numbers remaining on Registers of Government Employment Bureaux at End of Successive Four-weekly Periods according to Eligibility for Relief under Scheme No.5 or for Sustenance.

17

Classification. Period ended Eligible Men who! Registered less : Definitely Total were receiving i than Fourteen : 3 fc i not Registered Relief. i Days. BllgibiUtyl Eligible. Unemployed. Numbers of Men. 1933. October 28 .. .. .. .. 51,262 1,385 1,247 279 54,173 November 25 .. .. .. 47,469 1,400 1,034 237 50,140 December 23 .. .. .. 45,581 1,404 909 220 48,114 1934. January 20.. .. .. .. 44,211 2,063 1,359 213 47,846 February 17 .. .. .. 42,011 1,879 1,106 223 45,219 March 17 .. .. .. .. 41,548 1,871 1,190 212 44,821 April 14 .. .. .. .. 41,371 2,085 1,080 212 44,748 May 12 .. .. .. ' .. 42,041 2,221 1,223 212 45,697 June 9 .. .. .. .. 43.272 2,298 758 351 46,679 July 7 .. .. .. .. 44,978 2,536 1,150 492 49,156 Percentage of Totals. 1933. October 28 .. .. .. .. 94-6 2-6 2-3 0-5 100-0 November 25 .. .. .. 94-6 2-8 2-1 0-5 100-0 December 23 .. .. .. 94-7 2-9 1-9 0-5 100-0 1934. January 20 .. .. .. .. 92-4 4-3 2-8 0-5 100-0 February 17 .. .. .. 92-9 4-2 2-4 0-5 100-0 March 17 .. .. .. .. 92-7 4-2 2-6 0-5 100-0 April 14 .. .. .. .. 92-4 4-7 2-4 0-5 100-0 May 12 .. .. .. .. 92-0 4-8 2-7 0-5 100-0 June 9 .. .. .. .. 92-7 4-9 1-6 0-8 100-0 July 7 .. .. .. .. 91-5 5-2 2-3 1-0 100-0

Table V.—Numbers of Men remaining on Registers at End of Successive Four-weekly Periods and employed on various Classes of Work under Scheme No. 5, showing separately those on Part-time and Full-time Work.

Os «rt ft o o o bo a .3 ft a a> '5b o a a 0 "cs pH c 3 ft <D Ph 1 I *c? o 0 50 e 1 I *- & v <

CO Oi o fcO a g % £ <5 ■+3 *Sh P4 -+3 PJ <D a a u 0> > o o kh" H & O 1-3 w d +3 V o A "8 <1 w

•ns £

H.—35.

18

(Note. —This table excludes those receiving sustenance without work.) - • ; — '• : — ' - ' 28th Oct., 1933. 25th Nov., 1933. i 23rd Bee., 1933. 20th Jan., 1934. 17th Feb., 1934. 17th March, 1934. 14th April, 1934. ! 12th May, 1934. 9th June, 1934. 7th July, 1934. Classes of Work Number of Men. Number of Men. | Number of Men. ! Number of Men. Number of Men. Number of Men. Number of Men. Number of Men. Number of Men. Number of Men. Part Ml riy ; i Part ! Full Tntil Part Full i rn i i Part ; Full j .i- . j Part Full rp . i Part Full Total Part Full -i, ( ,, i Part Full ! m f , Part Full r , ' Part I Full Time. Time. lotal - Time. Time. iotal - lime. Time. iotaL \ Time. Time. 10taJ - Time. Time.: -iotal. Time Time. J- 0 ™- Time. Time.; Total - | Time. Time.' Total - Time. Time. Total - | Time. jTime. j Total - I I j | I i j j . j 1 Reproductive Work. ' Genera] land-development (in- 4,6751,260 5,935 3,903. 977 4,880 3,450j 950 4,400 2,506 S16! 3,322 2,193 779 2,972 2,190 756 2,946 1,985 743 2,728 1,605 625 2,230 1,933 732 2,665 1,917: 838 2,755 eluding vegetable-growing) I Land-drainage .. .. 1,541 408 1,949 1,609: 363 1,972 1.540! 378 1.918 1,513 249, 1.762 1,267; 337 1,604 1,221 354 1,575 1,277 219! 1,496 1,460 271, 1,731 1,303 444 1 1 747 1 512 331 1 843 Improvement of baokblock roads 3,503 956 4,459 3,4001,097 4,497 2,8181,158 3,976 2,0031,2541 3,257 2,681 1,050 3,731 2,870 967 3,837 3,4671,010! 4,477 3,4391,078 4,517! 3,3921,086 4,478 3'3891, 179 4*568 Protection against river and sea 2,305 9 2,314 2,250 .. 2,250 2,121: .. 2,121 1,904 .. : 1,904 1,842 11 1,853 1,668 132 1,800 1,685 177 1,862 1,959 195 2,154 1,831 190 2'o21 l'847 '222 2'o69 erosion j ! Afforestation .. .. 872 3 875 593; 7 600 466 5 471 423 5 428 728 .. 728 490: 1 491 468 l| 469 535 6 541 1,075 5 1,080 1,037 64 1 101 Reclamation (including preven- 880 .. 880 790 .. 790 870 .. 870 814 2| 816 559 .. 559 657; .. 657 661 .. 661 779 .. 779 795 .. 795 '904 32 '936 tion of sand-drifts) | Gold-prospecting under Scheme No. 5— On ordinary subsidy .. .. 2,999 2,999 .. 2,928 2,928 .. 3,066 3,066 .. 2,984 2,984 .. 2,889 2,889 .. 3,006 3,006 .. 3,030 3,030 .. 3,027 3,027 .. 3,044 ! 3,044 .. 3,037 3 037 Special preparatory or other .. 164 164 .. 196 196 .. j 271 271 .. 319 319 .. 356 356 .. 335 335 .. 310 310 .. 306 306: .. 315 315 .. 338 '333 work Supervisors and engineers .. .. 70 70 .. I 66 66 .. 70 70 70 70 78 78 73 73 81 81 77 77 80 80 .. 80 80 Other reproductive work .. 183 17 200 331! 58 389 84 j 53 137 5 2 7 10 14 24 28 10 38 37 6! 43 59 12: 71 22 1 23 26 5 31 Total men on reproductive 13,959 5,886 19,845 12,876 5,692 18,568 11,349 5,951 17,300; 9,168 5,701 14,869 9,280 5,514 14,794 9,124 5,63414,758 9,580 5,577 15,157 9,836 5,597 15,43310,351 5,897 16,248 10,632 6,126 16,758 work ! : ( ! ' Other Work. Formation and improvement of 15,606 1,02716,633 13,793 99914,79213,809. 82614,63515,696 725 16,42113,367 70614,07312,862 58513,44712,437 58513,02212,148 43212,58012,316 46912,78512,372 54212,914 streets, roads, &e. Improvement of domains, parks, 5,677 56 5,733 4,998 54 5,052 4,141! 47 4,188 ! 4,968: 38 5,006 4,671 35 4,706 4,484 27 4,511 4,593 23 4,616 4,679 26 4,705 4,856 25 4,881 4,979 38 5,017 and reserves Improvement of school and 3,337 .. 3,337 3,188 .. 3,188 3,356; 11 3,367 2,986 11 2,997 2,680 14 2,694 2,669 11 2,680 2,382 22 2,404 2,867 19 2,886 2,334 18 2,352 2,335 17 2,352 hospital grounds Sewerage and water-supply .. 1,165 83 1,248 1,011 135 1,146 881 157 1,038: 821 65 886 694 194 888 697 193 890 607 201 808 691 238 929 715 283 998 651 370 1 021 Miscellaneous .. .. 2,973 605 3,578 3,159 667 3,826 3,370, 719 4,089 2,294 651 2,945 2,524; 759 3,283 2,719 750. 3,469 2,574 744 3,318 2,392 766 3,158 2,554 736 3,290 2,554 734 3^288 Total men on other classes 28,758 1,771 30,529 26,149 l,855 28,004j25,557|l,760 27,31726,765 1,490 28,255 23,936 1,70825,644 23,431 1,56624, 997!22, 593 1,575 ! 24,168 22,777 1,481 24,258:22,775 1,531 24,30622,891 1,701 24,592 of work j 1 ; j J ' J. Grand totals .. .. 42,717 7,657 50,374 39,025 7,54746,572 -36,906 7,711 44,617 35,933 7,191 43,124 33,216 7,222 40,438 32,555 7,20039,755132, 173 7,152 39,325 32,613 7,078 39,69133, 126 7,428 40,554'33, 523 7,827 41,350