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Reviews of similar policies of worker-employer-Government co-operation from other countries are also given. The report says:— Holidays with Pay An important section of the report deals with the general tendency to extend to workers annual holidays with pay, and amongst those mentioned, as being liberal in this direction are the Argentine Republic, New South "Wales, •Ontario and Saskatchewan, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Iceland, and New Zealand. Family Allowances Reviewing the world position in respect to family allowances., briefly the position is, as disclosed by the report (complied in August, 1945) that Canada and Great Britain have been added to the list of those countries in which family-allowance schemes are in existence. The Canadian scheme provides a graduated scale for all children up to the age of sixteen years. For each child under the age of six the benefit is $5 monthly; the benefit increases with the age of the children until it reaches a maximum of sB' in the thirteen-sixteen year group. It is reduced by $1 monthly for a fifth child; by $2 monthly /for a sixth and seventh child, and by $3 monthly for an eighth and each additional child. It is estimated that the scheme will cost $200,000,000 a year and will affect 1,300,000 families out of a total of 1,500,000 families ; The British scheme, which came into operation in June, 1945, makes provision for an allowance for ss. for each child, commencing with the second child. The scheme in the U.S.S.R. was altered and made to apply to smaller families. The lump-sum grant, which formerly began with the eleventh child, now begins with the third and rises from 400 roubles for the third child to 5,000 roubles for the eleventh and each additional child. The periodical allowance, which in the U.S.S.R. formerly began with the seventh child, now begins with the fourth and rises from 80 roubles a month for the fourth to 300 a month for the eleventh and subsequent children. The allowance in the U.S.S.R. commences from the beginning of the second year from birth and continues until the fifth birthday. In this section as well as other sections dealing with social progress the provisions made in New Zealand are accorded honourable and praiseworthy mention. Housing The report points out that the housing shortage is acute throughout the world. It says:— In a great many countries there is an acute shortage of dwellings; and the measures taken to overcome this shortage have an important bearing not only on living conditions, "but also on the general level of employment. Statistics are given of the tremendous housing shortage existing in all countries, particularly those affected by the ravages of war. Agriculture Dealing with the problem of agriculture, the report says:— The impact of the war on agriculture has been far-reaching. There has been a dislocation of farming. The decline of acreage in crops and of yield per acre, the shortage of supplies of fuel and fertilizers, the depletion of machinery, the displacement of labour, the reduction of live-stock, and the damage done to the productivity of the soil itself makes the task of restoration one of unprecedented magnitude and complexity. In seeking increased 1 agricultural production and in calling upon domestic agriculture to help meet deficiencies in certain essential raw materials by the production of substitutes, •Government control of the use of land has become almost general. The problems of Governments in thet matter of minimum wages for agricultural workers in relation to agricultural commodity prices is reviewed, as is also the various policies adopted in different countries to meet these and similar agricultural problems.

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