H—44

(e) Paper-bag and Box-making (Year 1943-44) Number of units engaged .. .. .. .. 29 Number of persons engaged .. . . .. .. 992 Annual value of salary, wages, and drawings .. .. £216,797 Annual value of production .. .. .. .. £1,210,639 21. Local paper-mills continued to supply the bulk of the local requirements of wrapping-paper, bag-reels for the manufacture of paper bags, and container board for the manufacture of cartons and containers. In particular, the output of bag-reels and container board showed an increase over the previous year, despite broken time due to power shortages, and this was reflected in a greater output from the paper-bag and box making factories. It is expected that a new corrugated board and box making plant will be in production in the South Island in the near future, but apart from this projected •expansion no new units have entered the industry during the past year. (/) Printing, Publishing, and Bookbinding (Year 1943-44) Number of units engaged .. .. .. .. 331 Number of persons engaged . . .. .. 6, 095 Annual value of salaries, wages, and drawings .. £1,789,000 Annual value of production .. .. .. £5,409, 000 22. This group of industries is one of the largest in New Zealand, employees representing 5-17 per cent, of the total employees of all manufacturing industries, and the value of output being 3-08 per cent, of the total of all New Zealand manufacturing production. Despite shortages of materials, the industry has continued to progress, and many plants have been modernized during the past year. Newsprint-supplies, all of which have been obtained from Canada, were higher in 1946 than in the previous year, but are still below the pre-war level, and control of the sizes of publications has continued to be exercised by the newspaper companies. SECTION 3.—CHEMICALS, OIL, AND RUBBER DIVISION 23. The remarkable advances that have been achieved overseas 'in recent years in the field of industrial chemical research have particular significance in the case of a number of industries —e.g., plastics, rubber, synthetic-paint manufacture —coming within the scope of this Division. 24. Among the older-established industries in the group are those engaged in the production of soap, fertilizers, cigarettes and tobacco, rubber vulcanizing, matches, paint and varnish, petroleum products, chocolate, biscuits, cocoa, malted milk beverages, and ■canned fruit. More recent development has occurred in the projected manufacture of car and truck tires, and extended manufacture of pharmaceutical products and cosmetics, fish-liver oils, agar (from seaweed), and linseed-oil. Interest has also been shown during the past twelve months in the possibilities of salt, algin, glucose, and insulin production. 25. An important function of the Division during the year has had relation to the procurement from overseas countries of raw materials, foodstuffs, and fertilizers which have been allocated on a world basis by the International Emergency Food Council. 26. More detailed comments on selected industries within the group are given .hereunder : (a) Cosmetics and Toilet Preparations (Year 1943-44) Number of units engaged .. .. .. 34 Number of persons engaged .. .. .. .. 367 Annual value of salary, wages, and drawings .. .. £76,757 Annual value of production .. .. .. .. £507,470

7