H.-12

5

fifth, £400 per annum; sixth, £335 per annum; seventh, £300 per annum: with a clerical staff of twenty-two permanent officers and twenty-seven temporary. In this connection it may be urged that the population of Australia is four and a half times that of New Zealand, but against this it should be remembered that there is a well-staffed Statistical Office in each of the Australian States also. So much cannot, of course, be expected in New Zealand. But if the deficiencies in our statistics are to be remedied and the recommendations made given effect to, it will mean a considerable extension of the work of the Statistical Office. If the office is to cope properly with the work it will require to be reorganized and efficiently staffed. This will, however, I suppose. be a matter for the Public Service Commissioner, to whom I presume any recommendations in connection therewith should be made. Summary. My recommendations may be briefly summarized as follows : — (1.) That our agricultural and pastoral statistics be put on a proper basis, and the Australian system of collection through the police be adopted, with the co-operation of the Agricultural Department. (2.) That statistics of industrial production be collected annually with the assistance of the Labour Department. (3.) That the production of statistics in regard to our fisheries and forests should l>e undertaken as soon as possible. (4.) That our trade statistics should be brought into line with those of Australia as to classification and country of origin as from the Ist January, 1914. (5.) That industrial and economic inquiries be undertaken by the Statistical Office with the co-operation of the Labour Department, on similar lines to those instituted by the Commonwealth Statistician. (6.) That a statistical summary be issued monthly in the near future. (7.) That inquiries be made as to cost of obtaining data from the military authorities for the production of anthropometric statistics in connection with the Territorial Forces. (8.) That the Statistical Office be reorganized and efficiently staffed to cope with the increased work to be undertaken. It is unnecessary for me to here stress the importance of statistics to a country, as this is now generally acknowledged, but it is essential they should be accurate and reliable. I trust, therefore, that in considering the increased expenditure which may be necessary to put the New Zealand statistics of production and trade on a proper basis you will be able to deal with the matter as liberally as possible. Malcolm Fraser, Government Statistician.

Approximate Coil of Paper. —Prsparation, not given ; printing (1,500 copies), £4.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l4.

Price 6d.]

2—H. 12.