H.—ll

III

EEPOET. The Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hon. the Minister op Labour. Sir, Department of Labour. Wellington, 24th May, 1911. 1 have I In- In in in presenl herewith the twentieth annual report of this Department for transmission to His Excellency the Governor, in accordance with section 68 of the Factories Act, 1908. and section 12 of the Labour Department and Labour Day Act. 1908. Tlie report covers tinlate financial year viz. from the Ist April. 1910, to the 31st March. 1911. I have, &c., Tlie lion. .1. A. Millar. Minister of Labour. .John Lomas, Secretary. I.\ submitting this, my first report. I have pleasure in saying that the promise of a better year as far as unemployment was concerned was more than fulfilled during the year. The signs of better times were evident when the last report of the Department was published, and the winter of 1910 passed over without any marked pressure from callers for work. Skilled tradesmen, with the sole exception of those engaged in iron-working pursuits, were generally able to get full employment during the winter, and, us the summer season approached, nil classes of workmen, skilled and unskilled. found ready employment. At times there was. in fact, a shortage of hands in the building trades. but no very serious inconvenience was caused to employers, although several large contracts were delayed somewhat in their completion owing to the dearth of labour. Plumbers and painters seem to have had a specially good year throughout the Dominion, and no difficulty has been experienced in placing all applying at the Department's offices. The total number of men assisted for the year was 7,102, or 1,404 less than last year. Of this number, 2,181 were married, and 1,921 single men and widowers. Of the total, 4,251 were sent or assisted to private employment, and 2.80 l to Government works. Of those applying at the Government bureaux for employment, the following persons have received practical assistance from the Labour Department since its formation : —

Year. Total. Married. Single. Dependents. Private Government Work. 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 1909-10 1910-11 ... 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 8,506 7,102 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 2,987 2,181 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 5,519 4,921 4,72!) 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 10,164 8,454 1,730 863 2,518 1,356 1,019 2,322 894 2,136 708 2,163 652 1,066 544 1,491 638 1,477 486 1,661 519 2,605 396 1,434 580 3,124 1,216 1,644 1,960 1,170 1,929 4,783 2,718 4,675 2,977 3,328 4,190 6,201 5,059 3,447 4,251 2,851 Totals 84,781 30,986 58,795 119,354 34,984 49,797