H.—ll.

Employment Bubeaux. The following table shows the number of men practically assisted by the Department since its institution :—

The assisted workmen with their dependent families together total 169,909 persons. It may be noticed that during the last six years the numbers sent to private employment are steadily growing, a fact which shows that the Department is rendering efficient service to employers and employed. To find private work for 4,190 men on a falling market has demanded both zeal and intelligence. The effort of the Ministry to meet the depression in labour circles is shown by the record that 6,201 men were sent by the Department to public works, compared with 3,328 so arranged for last year. Among the men assisted, as shown in the figures for 1908-9, there were 1,679 from Great Britain, 485 from Australia, and 222 from foreign countries. Eighty-eight wives, with 112 children, were forwarded to localities in which their breadwinners were at work. The cost of such passages has since been in all cases refunded to the Department. Immigration. Although immigration is a matter with which the Labour Department is not directly concerned, itjwill be seen that quite a large number of men assisted were from overseas, and of the 1,679 coming from Great Britain by far the largest number were sent to farming-work. The great object in view by immigrants is to take up land, and the Department invariably advises them to undergo at least a year's training on a farm prior to buying land for themselves. Quite a large proportion of the immigrants arriving followed callings in which employment was not freely offering, thus accentuating the difficulty for local men. From close inquiries it was ascertained that the reason for tradesmen coming was generally the dearth of employment in Great Britain itself ; and, on it being pointed out that trade was slack here, the reply was that things could hardly be worse than in Britain, and that they were prepared to accept the consequences. In some cases, however, it was strenuously alleged, on the other hand, that trade had been represented as being brisk in all branches in this Dominion, and inquiries usually elicited the information that such reports emanated from irresponsible shipping agents and others. The High Commissioner is kept well informed of the changes in labour-conditions, and intending immigrants can get reliable information from his office at any time. The Department continues to have a heavy correspondence from intending settlers in all parts of the world. Some of the writers possess considerable capital, but in all cases the Department endeavours to give reliable information as to prospects of settlement, and docs not hesitate to say " No " where the occasion warrants. Factories. The following table shows the number of persons engaged in manufacture, &c, in New Zealand for the years 1895 to 1909. The number of persons whose collective work at articles intended for

iv

Year. Total. Married. Single. Dependents. Private Work. ■overnmem Work. 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 ... 1900-1 1901-2 1902-3 1903-4 1904-5 1905-6 1906-7 1907-8 1908-9 2,593 3,874 3,341 3,030 2,871 1,718 2,035 2,115 2,147 3,124 1,830 3,704 2,860 3,130 6,712 7,393 6,305 10,391 1,054 1,808 1,836 2,007 1,880 1,084 1,163 1,178 1,115 1,326 713 1,492 777 953 2,027 1,427 1,440 2,538 1,539 2,066 1,505 1,023 991 634 872 937 1,032 1,798 1,117 2,212 2,083 2,177 4,685 5,966 4,865 7,853 4,729 7,802 7,942 8,883 8,424 4,719 4,928 4,759 4,471 5,432 2,747 5,934 3,085 3,425 7,351 4,187 4,408 7,510 1,730 2,518 1,019 894 708 652 544 638 486 519 396 580 1,216 1,960 1,929 2,718 2,977 4,190 863 1,356 2,322 2,136 2,163 1,066 1,491 1,477 1,661 2,605 1,434 3,124 1,644 1,170 4,783 4,675 3,328 6,201 Totals 69,173 25,818 43,355 100,736 25,674 43,499