H. —11A,

The employment is under ordinary industrial conditions, and paid in terms of the award to which the employing authority is a party. In cases where an employer is not cited as a party to an award the conditions and rates of pay prescribed by the Public Works Workers' agreement are adopted as the standard. In order to make provision for semi-fit men and those of sixty years and over whose wives are not eligible to receive age-benefits, works of a light nature have been authorized in special cases. Rabbit-extermination. Subsidies of 455. and 30s. per man-week for married and single men respectively are made available to Rabbit Boards and County Council Rabbit Committees who are prepared to employ additional workers on the extermination of rabbits by means of fumigation and/or poisoning. The subsidy is available only to those Rabbit Boards and other authorities, and for such periods as are recommended by the Department of Agriculture. The conditions of employment and rates of pay are in accordance with awards, &c., as indicated above. Ragwort-eradication. Subsidies of 455. and 30s. per man-week for married and single men respectively are made available to individual farmers for the eradication of ragwort. The scheme is supervised by the Department of Agriculture, and placements are subject to that Department's approval. The men are employed on a full-time forty-hour-week basis at not less than 16s. per day. SCHEME No. 16 : SUBSIDIZED APPRENTICES IN BUILDING TRADES. This scheme was inaugurated in 1937 with the primary object of meeting the shortage of carpenters and bricklayers, and for the purpose of assisting those youths who owing to the depression lost their opportunity of learning a trade. The scheme covers short-term apprenticeships and traineeships of up to three years' duration, and is applicable to young men between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five years. The carpentry apprentices receive a minimum wage for the first year of £2 2s. 6d. per week, increasing by £1 per week for every subsequent year until after the third year, when they are entitled to journeymen's rates. Subsidies commence at £1 per week, reducing each year by 55., and terminating after the third year. ' For bricklaying the apprentices' wage-rates are £2 12s. 6d per week for the first year, with subsidy of 255. ; £3 7s. 6d. per week for the second year, subsidy 15s. ; and £4 2s. 6d. per week for the third year, subsidy 10s. ; thereafter at journeymen's rates without subsidy. The wage-rates mentioned above apply in respect of both apprentices and trainees, except that the subsidy rates for trainees are only half those for apprentices. There is no fixed period of employment in the case of trainees, except that the engagement is on a weekly basis. Every endeavour is made, however, to persuade employers to observe the spirit of the plan and so enable the trainee to master as much of the trade as the period will permit. To enable any apprentice or trainee under the scheme to obtain a thorough knowledge of his trade, arrangements have been made for free tuition at technical schools where suitable classes are available. In some cases, owing to the locality, classes were not available, and to meet the position a free correspondence course has now been provided by the technical college authorities. In many instances it was found that the financial position of the apprentice or trainee prevented him from acquiring a kit of tools, and advances were made to purchase necessary items, the amounts being refunded by weekly instalments. Since its inception in September, 1937, to 9th March, 1939, 615 apprentices and 129 trainees have been placed under the scheme, the present position regarding these contracts being as follows :—

Of the 475 contracts shown under heading (a), 140 are now in their third year of apprenticeship. The 59 contracts shown as suspended in (c) have been occasioned by the enlistment of the apprentices concerned in the Military Forces. By regulation made under the Public Safety Conservation Act, 1932, provision has been made for these apprentices to continue their apprenticeship on the termination of military service if they so desire. During the past twelve months it has become increasingly difficult to obtain suitable young men within the age-limits specified, and the scheme appears to have fulfilled its purpose in providing an .avenue of skilled employment for the class of worker referred to above. Taking all factors into account, it was decided to terminate the scheme from the 30th April, 1940.

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Carpenters. Bricklayers: rp , Apprentices. Apprentices. Trainees. (a) Contracts in operation .. .. .. 401 60 14 475 (b) Contracts terminated .. .. .. 123 59 2 184 (c) Contracts suspended .. ... .. 54 4 1 59 (d) Contracts expired .. .. .. 7 1 4 12 (e) Contracts cancelled .. .. .. 8 5 1 14 Totals .. .. .. 593 129 22 744