93

H.—ll

number of employees; their average duration of employment was 33' 12 weeks, and the average earnings throughout that period was £3 4s. 2£d., and for the whole year £2 Os. lid., per week, in respect to the average earnings in this industry, however, it should be explained that the 33 - 12 weeks' " duration of employment " includes a number of occasions when the few slaughtermen then employed were engaged for only an hour or two per day; so that, while during the main portion of the period the earnings averaged up to £7 per week, the actual average earnings throughout the whole period was £3 4s. 2jd. In regard to column 5, "Duration of employment" : it should perhaps also be explained that in those eases in which the number of workers increased during the year (as ascertained from the total number employed in each month) column 5 does not in all cases indicate the average number of weeks in which employment was available, but merely the average number of weeks' work performed. The extent to which each trade has increased or decreased, in the number of workers employed, or the extent to which it has been intermittent, will be readily seen from the number employed in the various months. The amount of wages paid to casual hands, and referred to in the footnotes to the various trades, is the total amount paid in wages to all employees who worked in any factory for a shorter period than four weeks during the year. In some cases the employees to whom these amounts were paid were no doubt the same employees as are included in the tables, and a slight increase in some of the figures shown might therefore have been made. As no definite information on the subject was obtainable, and the amounts were small, no increase has been included. It will be seen that in Tables II and 111 the figures relate to the whole of the persons employed in the various trades, irrespective of age. In this connection it is proposed, should an opportunity offer during the coming year, to compile a further table setting forth the average earnings, the duration of their employment, &c. X of journeymen and journeywomen only (in the various trades). This table will probably be published as an appendix to next year's report.