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The 504 remaining units are distributed as follows : Operating as at 31st January, 31st January, 1950. 1949. Northland .. .. .. .. .. 35 35 Auckland Metropolitan Area .. .. .. 48 49 Waikato, South Auckland, Bay of Plenty .. .. 95 96 Grisborne and East Coast Bays .. .. 11 11 Northern and Central Hawke's Bay .. 19 21 Taranaki-Wanganui - Main Trunk Townships .. 54 56 Manawatu, Southern Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa .. 44 45 Wellington - Hutt Valley .. .. .. 29 29 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 11 11 Nelson.. .. .. .. .. 14 14 West Coast .. .. .. .. .. 20 23 Canterbury .. .. .. .. .. 64 66 Otago .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 43 Southland .. .. .. .. .. 24 27 504 526 Thirteen of the closed units (for bread-baking) formerly operated on the West Coast (South Island) and in Otago and Southland. On the basis of population at 31st December, 1949 (1,902,000), the proportion of bread-bakers is one for 3,774 persons. The majority of the 504 units (operating at 31st January, 1950) undertake the manufacture of pastrycook goods as well as bread. In addition there are 210 units using 10/160's or more of flour per month engaged in making pastrycook goods only, and a large number of smaller pastrycook establishments (the " home cake kitchens ") use lesser quantities. During the twelve months under review 111,012 tons of flour were delivered to breadbakers and bread-pastrycooks—i.e., excluding bakeries undertaking solely the manufacture of pastrycook lines, as compared with 110,533 tons for the year ended 31st January, 1949, an increase of 479 tons. Allowing for an estimated proportion of flour used by bread-bakers in the manufacture of " smalls," 105,500 tons of flour were used for bread-baking. Using again the population figure (1,902,000), the consumption per head is 2-86 lb. bread per week. The relative figure per person for Australia (as calculated by the Commonwealth Statistician at 30th June, 1947) was 2*72 lb. of bread per person each week. 4. TOBACCO BOARD The following is a report received from the Tobacco Board covering the period under review:— (a) Growth of Industry This is the Board's thirteenth year of administration, and the statistical records kept over the years show that crop production has risen from 1,197,161 lb. in 1935-36 to 5,000,470 lb. in 1948-49. This represents an increase of approximately 318 per cent. The harvest for 1949 exceeded that of the previous year by approximately 4-8 per cent. The increased production of tobacco is in accordance with the objective of the Board to encourage and develop the tobacco-growing industry as far as possible. Continued expansion is, however, contingent upon the supply of labour which, in turn, is

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