0,-3

24

RaU, Stoats, &c. Rats appear to have increased in numbers since opossum-trappers discontinued the baiting of traps, and to assist rat-destruction a royalty of 2d. per skin will be paid for all rats caught in State forests. Stoats are mortal enemies to bird-life and in forested lands where settlement is not affected they should not be protected, but should be regarded as vermin, and dealt with accordingly. Bird-life. As native birds have so many introduced natural enemies and these operate also as disturbers and food-ravagers, it is not surprising that native bird-life generally appears to be on the decline. As far as the presence of exotic animals will permit all State forests function as bird sanctuaries. 2. Staff. The extended afforestation programme and the institution of large-scale relief works subsequent to the cessation of planting, imposed a heavy tax on the energy of all sections of the staff ; and, although this created many new and unexpected difficulties, the year's work was carried through efficiently and expeditiously with no material increase in the permanent personnel. In this connection it is interesting to mention that the ratio between permanent staff personnel and area controlled is smaller in New Zealand than in any of the States of the Commonwealth of Australia or in the Union of South Africa, even though the artificial-plantation area, which demands the most intensive administration of any, far exceeds that of the other countries mentioned.

TABLE 10. Comparison of Total Employees.

3. Honorary Forest Rangers. Honorary Rangers now number 103 and their valuable assistance and co-operation in many forestry matters are again gratefully acknowledged. 4. Unemployment. Being essentially a winter work, afforestation has long been recognized as a suitable medium for unemployment relief. The exigencies of the labour-market again necessitated the creation of certain relief works for several months of the year, and the extent to which the Service assisted in this direction over the past four years is briefly illustrated by the appended table.

TABLE 11. Summary of Labour Complement employed during the Past Four Winter Periouds.

These figures do not include the permanent field staff of some seventy controlling officers, but include the semi-permanent standing labour complement of from, four to five hundred men who are employed practically all the year round upon general maintenance work, fire patrol, &c., in the summer, and during the winter period form the basis of planting crews as foremen, leading hands, &c. As already mentioned unemployment relief work did not close at the termination of the planting season, but was continued for several months thereafter and on two projects gangs were employed till March of the present year; thus it was possible for many men to have had at least six months' continuous employment. At the peak period 1,820 labourers were on the pay-roll of the Service. These men were engaged on plantation cleaning and thinning, road-formation work, preparation of land for future planting, &c.

Year. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. I 1925. 1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. Permanent staff .. 97 99 95 96 95 106 111 112 122 125 Temporary officers .. 8 10 15 23 24 28 31 34 34 33 Labourers*.. .. 168 181 244 280 368 483 764 1,300 1,317 l,740f Total .. 273 290 354 399 487 ! 617 906 1,446 1,473 J,808 * As at September in each year. f Forecast.

a 1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. Month. Number Number Number Number Number Number Number Number of Unem-j of other Total, of Unem- of other Total, of Unem- of other Total, of Unem- of other Total, ployed. ! Labour. ployed. Labour. ployed. Labour. ployed. Labour. May .. .. 50 319 369 60 368 428 340 402 742 310 400 710 June .. .. 98 331 429 120 360 480 630 403 1,033 586 410 996 July .. .. 137 308 445 330 320 650 720 468 1,188 664 425 : 1,089 August .. 158 321 479 460 326 786 740 499 1,239 868 430 1,298 September .. 164 319 483 480 324 804 880 415 1,295 887 430 1,317 October .. 128 284 412 140 325 465 530 379 909 1,113 4-30 1,543