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These tables will be compiled by the Government Statistician from information collected, from representative traders, by officers of the Department. A good deal of information relating to prices during the years 1891 to 191-'! has also been collected from the four chief centres of the Dominion (by an officer of the Department on behalf of the Government Statistician). The tables and graphs to be published will show the movements from time to time of prices of rents, groceries, meat, milk, bread, fruit, agricultural produce, coal, light, timber, and other staple commodities in general use by the community. EXHIBIT OF DEPARTMENT AT THE AUCKLAND EXHIBITION. (December, 1913, to April, 1914.) A small exhibit was made by the Department at the above Exhibition. The exhibit consisted of two models and a number of photographs of workers' dwellings; graphs and diagrams relating to strikes (in New Zealand) from 1896 to 1913; cost of living (three charts); wages and hours of labour in Wellington building trades, 1912 (compared with certain British cities); changes in the level of food-prices (United Kingdom, United Stales of America, Canada, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand); membership of industrial unions in New Zealand; number of persons sent to employment; rents in four chief cities of New Zealand; factory employees, proportion of each sex employed, 1896 to 1913; increase in number of factories from year to year, and the number of employees engaged therein; average duration of employment and average weekly earnings of employees (male and female) in the chief industries in New Zealand (this chart showed all the fluctuations of employment from month to month during the year dealt with). Several of these graphs and charts are reproduced in this report. Photographs of the interior of several typical New Zealand factories were also displayed. STAFF CHANCES. On the 31st December last Mr. John Lomas, Secretary of Labour, &c, retired from the service on superannuation following upon three months' leave of absence, and 1 was appointed to the offices vacated by that gentleman- —namely, Secretary of Labour. Registrar of Industrial Unions, and Superintendent of Workers' Dwellings—continuing also in the position of Chief Inspector of Factories, to which 1 had been appointed in October. For nearly twenty-three years —in fact, during the whole period of the Department's history —Mr. Lomas had been connected with the Department, and it is recognized that in his several capacities he rendered valuable service to the Dominion. Joining as a clerk in November, 1891, some three months after the Department's institution, Mr. Lomas was some fifteen months later appointed to the position of Inspector of Factories (Officer in Charge) at Christchurch, where he was stationed until April, 1905. He was then transferred to a similar position in Dunedin. Two years later, in February, 1907, he was appointed Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories, and on the death of Mr. James Mackay in the following September he was appointed Chief Inspector of Factories, Deputy Registrar of Industrial Unions, and Chief Advisory Officer under the Workers' Dwellings Act. On the retirement of Mr. Edward Tregear, in February, 1911, Mr. Lomas was appointed to the positions of Secretary of Labour. &c, which he held until his retirement. Upon my appointment as Chief Inspector of Factories, Mr. W. H. Hagger, formerly Officer in Charge at the Christchurch office, was appointed Deputy Chief Inspector, and on .my appointment as Secretary of Labour and Registrar of Industrial Unions, Mr. J. W. Collins was appointed Chief Clerk and Deputy Registrar of Industrial Unions. It is with regret that I have to record the deaths of two valued officers —Messrs. D. Carmody, Officer in Charge of the Christchurch office, and W. Hood, late Inspector of factories at the Auckland office. Mr. Carmody had proved himself a very capable and tactful officer, and his demise shortly following well-earned promotion was very much regretted. Mr. Hood, who had left the service of the Department during the year owing to failing health, had always been a \er\ zealous and painstaking officer, and his loss to the Department was also very much regretted.