H.—ll

2

Apprentices. In order to ascertain the movement in the number of apprentices in the principal trades of the Dominion, employers in those trades in which apprentices are employed were requested to furnish returns showing the number employed by them as at April in each of the past six years. The table given below has been compiled from the information thus obtained :--

The decreases in the several building trades are significant. As the apprentice question has become an important one, it is proposed to collect similar information each year, and these particulars will be published annually. Occupations of the People. Several years ago a, table was prepared by the Department showing, from the census returns of 189.1 to 1906, the number of persons engaged in each occupation throughout the Dominion, from which could be ascertained the extent of the migration of the people from the country to the towns, and whether the population was engaged in as useful occupations in 1906 as in 1891. It will be remembered that the statistics of the population of the various boroughs, counties, and other local districts suggested that there has been a steady migration at a considerable rate from the country to the towns, and that while a few years ago the larger number of the Dominion's population was in the country, that position has since been reversed. The figures are : .1891- counties, 56 per cent, of the population ; boroughs, 43 per cent. 1916 —counties, 46 per cent, of the population ; boroughs, 53 per cent. The information gathered from the above-mentioned table indicated, however, that there was in fact (at all events during that period) an Increased proportion of the people engaged in farming and other productive pursuits. Probably the impression given by the statistics showing the increase in the population of the towns was partly caused by the fact that a tendency has existed from year to year to widen the area within the jurisdiction of boroughs and town districts, thereby showing an apparent movement of the people where no such movement has actually taken place. An up-to-date; table showing the present grouping of the people in the various occupations and the movement that has taken place from 1906 to date would no doubt be of great interest sit the present time in view of the urgent need for increased production of various commodities of the Dominion, but as the last census taken was in 1916, when a large number of men were as the war, it will be necessary to postpone the compilation of such table until 1921, after the next census is taken.

Factories Act.

\iii iber of Apprentices employed in A iprll, 1919. UtlO. (Actual.) * Increase or Decrease. Trade. 1914. (See col.8.) I 1915. L916. 1017. L918. (1) (2) (8) _ (■I) (5) (<!) (7) (8) (8) Carpentry and joinery Bricklaying Plastering Plumbing and tinsmitUing Painting Cycle and motor engineering . . Engineering (general) . . . . I Electrical engineering. . Blacksmithing and ooachbuilding Cabinet-making and upholstery. . Tailoring and clothing manufactures Bootmaking and repairing*} Saddle and harness manufacturing Bread and small-goods manufacturing .. Printing and publishing§ Watch and jewellery manufacturing, &c. Dentistry (mechanical) Sail, tent, and cover making Boatbuilding and shipwrighting 391 16 29 421 94 186 838 137 203 366 781 284 82 64 382 72 15 6 61 377 14 28 397 90 218 773 151 196 327 922 329 79 66 374 69 18 53 J 308 9 26 339 79 261 755 188 165 343 917 338 79 74 359 73 21 8 I 48 308 265 224 9 8 0 26 21 17 339 316 276 ■ 79 70 61 261 344 421 755 815 808 188 239 240 165 174 176 343 325 336 917 859 759 338 403 441 79 81 80 74 87 102 359 359 375 73 76 78 21 23 24 8 7 : 5 48 35 40 245 4(15 18 17 24 30 317 437 81 1)7 488 193 901 869 294 141! 191 I'll 424 380 782 829 448 302 88 85 129 86 397 406 102 75 22 1 (i 10 7 48 ' 63 161) 4 6 -120 - 16 + 295 + 32 + 151 - 20 + 44 - 47 + 146 + 3 + 63 g + 27 + 6 + 3 - 15 Totals 4,425 ! 4,456 I 4,390 I __ 4,390 4,506 ! 4,472 5,004 4,(131 373 * This column shows what the figures would ha\ to the increase of population from 1914 to 1919. § Excluding Maoris the Increase In the male po] increase per eent. was :i - 7 for males, and for the females are largely employed) -i'7 1ms heon used in 8 vc been in l LfllO if ther :e had been ! had been an increase in the mini iber of apprentices pro >portlonate tpulation of whole popu arriving at f f 1919 over ilatlon 6-2. tlio figure g ■ 1911 was 1 111 all tri (lyen in coin 1911 was 21,000, while the lnorei In all trades except thoee mar yen in column K, while (V2 lias 1km ase in females was 48 ■kc.l § (in which both en iisal for the other t ,000. The males and Tildes.

I Year. Factories. • 1913-14 (before the war) .. 13,469 1914-15 .. .. .. 13,937 1915-16 (since the war began). . 13,214 1916-17 „ .. 12,455 1917-18 „ .. 12,485 1918-19 „ .. 12,444 1919-20' „ .. 13,490 Movement. 94 (increase) 468 723 (decreasse) 751) 30 (increase) 41 (decrease) 1,046 (increase) I I i Factory Workers. 87,517 88,812 83,011 78,188 79,653 82,783 85,591 Movement. 919 (increase). 1,295 5,801 (decrease). 4,823 1,465 (increase). 3,130 2,808