7

H.—l

29. The following table shows the ratio to the total, of the sickness in the first six months, in the second six months, and after twelve months respectively, in quinquennial age-periods. After age forty there is a continuous decrease in acute sickness and a continuous increase in chronic sickness, the latter at the ages above sixty being considerably more than one-half of the total.

Teade-unions. 30. No application for registration under " The Trade-union Act, 1878," was received during 1897, all such societies preferring to register under " The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1894." 31. The registry of the Taranaki Sawmillers' Association was cancelled in 1897, at the request of the society. 32. A list of registered trade-unions, as on the 31st December, 1897, is given in Appendix 111. Edmund Mason, May, 1898. Registrar of Friendly Societies and Trade-unions.

Ratio (per Cent.) to Total Sickness. Age. First Six Months. Second Six Months. After Twelve Months. Under 25 25-30 30-35 35-40 40-45 45-50 50-55 55-60 60-65 65-70 70 and upwards 86-67 86-78 78-85 80-26 68-69 60-64 55-15 43-20 34-56 23-79 14-60 5-70 5-87 6-23 6-30 7-89 7-97 10-29 9-35 8-01 5-94 7-98 7-63 7-35 14-92 13-44 23-42 31-39 34-56 47-45 57-43 70-27 77-42