H.—ll

28

The training which the lads have received will fit them for practically any rural employment, and they should therefore in future years become most useful members of the Dominion's community. WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT BRANCHES. The number of domestic servants and women workers (generally) assisted to employment by these branches totals 2,163, as against 2,072 assisted during the previous year. The total persons assisted in each of the centres are as follow : — Married. *<£• aud Total. Widows. Wellington ~ .. .. .. ..251 517 768 Auckland .. .. .. .. ..63 595 658 Christchurch .. .. .. .. ..72 252 324 Dunedin .. .. .. 40 215 255 Masterton .. .. .. .. ..4 II 15 Nelson .. .. .. .. ..63 80 143 Totals .. .. .. ..493 1,670 2,163 Of the total assisted (2,163), 268 came from Groat Britain, 33 from the Commonwealth, and the remainder from within the Dominion itself. Extracts from the reports of the officers in charge of these branches are quoted on page 40 of this report. It will be noted that the demand for " generals "is growing more insistent each year; that wages are higher, with an increasing tendency (ranging from £1 to £1 ss. per week); and that servants are even more scarce than during last year. On the other hand, workers engaged in particular branches of housework — such as house-and-parlour-maids, waitresses, housekeepers, and cooks—have not been in short supply, and the demand for dayworkers does not appear to absorb all the labour offering; the majority of the latter are generally in poor circumstances, and assist by their earnings in the upkeep of homes where there are frequently delicate husbands and children to maintain. Arrangements are now in progress with a view- to the selection of workers for the hoppicking season in January of each year being undertaken by the Women's Branches at Nelson and Wellington. The following table shows the total number of workers assisted since the establishment of the branches in 1908 :— 1908 (ten months) ... ... ... ... 2,542 1909-10 ... ... ... ... ... 2.655 1910-11' ... ... ... ... ... 2,211 1911-12 ... ... ... ... ... 2,215 1912-13 ... ... ... ... ... 2,072 1913-14 ... ... ... ... 2,163 Total ... ... ... ... 13,891 DEPARTMENTAL PUBLICATIONS. The awards and decisions of the Arbitration Court under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, together with industrial agreements, have been published in the usual way throughout the year. The volume for the year 1913 (Vol. xiv), which is now nearly ready for distribution, is accompanied by a complete appendix of all accepted recommendations, industrial agreements, awards, interpretations, and important enforcements reported in Vols, i to xiv. A digest of the decisions and interpretations made during the year also accompanies the volume. A consolidated digest of all the decisions from the inception of the Act to date will be compiled this year and published with Vol. xv. The decisions given under the Workers' Compensation Act during the year are also being published, and the usual digest of same will be bound with the volume (Vol. xii); a consolidation of all the digests will also be prepared this year for publication with Vol. xiii next year. The publication of the monthly Journal of the Department has been continued (VoJ. xxi). The information furnished from time to time as to the state of trade and labour conditions throughout the Dominion appears to be very widely read and appreciated. PRICE STATISTICS. Consequent upon arrangements made with the Government Statistician, information will shortly be regularly published in the monthly Journal of the Department showing the average prices of the various commodities in the chief and several of the secondary towns of the Dominion.