H,—ll.

Factories in New Zealand.

Regarding the local distribution of the amount spent on industrial wages, the following figures may be noted. If the four chief cities be considered comparatively, Auckland leads by £60,612 over its next competitor. Auckland. Christchurch. Wellington. Dunedin. £921,314 £860,702 £784,177 £723,962 If, however, the city with its surrounding industrial district be considered, Wellington leads by £224,787. Wellington. Auckland. Canterbury. Otago and Southland. £1,594,693 £1,369,906 £1,131,243 £1,128,180 This probably arises because Wellington District includes several important towns, among others, Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston North, &c. Wellington City paid £784,177 this year in wages against £702,397 in the previous year—an increase of £81,780. The employees in factories in the four chief cities are, in order of numbers, grouped as follows : — Auckland. Christchurch. Dunedin. Wellington. 11,369 10,284 9,643 8,263 If the surrounding industrial district bo included with each city the comparative position becomes altered as follows :— Wellington. Auckland. Otago and Southland. Canterbury. 17,139 16,625 14,386 13,690 Although Canterbury pays more wages than Otago and Southland, it employs fewer people in its industries. If we separate the employees into those above and those below the age of twenty-one years—both ge xes —we arrive at the following result in regard to the numbers of those below twenty-one years of age: Auckland Industrial District, 5,120; Otago and Southland Industrial District, 4,862 ; Wellington Industrial District, 4,515 ; Canterbury Industrial District, 4,255. Thus, Auckland Industrial District employs most young people. An exceedingly interesting result, and one having a social as well as an economic aspect, appears in computing from the tables the proportion of young workers to adults when grouped by sexes. The percentages are calculated for the four chief cities, but the proportion in the rural districts is nearly similar. Batio of those under Twenty-one Years of Age engaged in Factories to every 100 above that Age, including Employers actually engaged. Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin. Boys .. .. .. 27-27 23-23 25-74 28-05 Girls .. .. .. 100-28 78-03 86-99 101-82 Referring to the above figures, it can be generally asserted from inquiries made that 95 per cent, of the females employed in factories are under thirty years of age, so that the ratio of females under thirty to every 100 above that age would be as high as 1900. It will be evident that, whereas the

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Numl ier of Persons engaged. Number of empli Workrooms )ying Mai Ee Employees. Female Employees. Total Wages paid during the Year. Industrial District. i up to ! SS I 8 o ° Persons. *« o >l iS I Total. 14-16. Age 17-20. Age 21 and over. Age 14-16. & >Sk 1£ Luokland City .. .. 683 Vellington City .. .. 390 Ihristchurch City .. .. r>58 )unedin City .. .. 608 Northern Industrial District .. 347 'aranaki Irdustrial District .. 110 Vellington Industrial District 397 larlborough Industrial District 34 Jelson Industrial District .. 80 Vestland Industrial District.. 104 Canterbury Industrial District 207 )tago and Southland Industrial 328 District Totals .. .. 3,846 1,3241 6,052! 889 ! 4,598| 1,083 5,262: 1,001 4,676 846 3,626 228 1,433 970 6,092 02 ! 461 161 657 224 1,086 446; 2,136 661j 2,855 7,695 38,934 627 402 517 662 130 43 270 10 26 63 89 154 1,144 706^ 1,129 1,128 219, 103 491 27 88 103 226 320 1,539 1,278 1,735 1,568 288 95 656 32 99| 90] 302 425 11,369 8,263 10,284! 9,643| 5,256, 2,012 8,876 626 1,111 1,670 3,406 4,743 1,534 1,049 1,270 1,251 1,293 503 1,912 141 355 375 839 1,067 1,260 863 1,046 l,002 ! 1,262; 614 1,934 140 301 327 858 1,013 204 152 181 175 114 33 200 12 21 54 58 108 90 55 66 51 11 3 38 1 3 1 8 15 1,554 1,070 1,293 1,228 1,387 650 2,172 153 325 382 924| 1,136 921,314 784,177 ' 860,702 723,962 448,592 181,720 810,516 60,584 82,678 161,222 270,541 404,218 2,993 67,259 11,589 1,312 342 12,274 5,710,226 5,688,107i 10,620