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J 925. NEW ZEALAND,

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR (REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

KEPO R T . The Secretary, Department of Labour, to the Hod. the Minister of Labour. Sir, — Department of Labour, Wellington, 27th June, 1925. I have the honour to present herewith the thirty-fourth annual report of this Department, for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to be laid before Parliament, in compliance with the Labour Department Act, 1908, and the Factories Act, 1921-22. The report covers the financial year Ist April, 1924, to 31st March, 1925. 1 have, &c., F. W. Rowley, The Hon. the Minister of Labour. Secretary of Labour. CONDITIONS OF TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT. General trade conditions improved during the year, but this did not affect the position of unemployment to any appreciable extent, the number of applications for employment now on the books being practically the same as at the corresponding time last year. Labourers again comprised about 50 per cent, of these applications, the remainder including clerical workers, drivers, engineers, hotel workers, seamen and firemen, storemen, and those of other occupations in smaller numbers. None of the skilled trades in which apprenticeship periods are required, with the exception possibly of engineers, showed any degree of unemployment, and the engineering trade improved to some extent during the year. The number of men sent to public works fell considerably, but there was a large increase in the number of men sent to private employment, there being a great demand for farm-workers and for men employed in the building trade ; the latter was, no doubt, largely accounted for by the granting of loans by the State Advances Office for house-building purposes. Local bodies throughout New Zealand provided employment for a considerable number of men through increased activities in drainage-work, pipe-laying, electrical reticulation, roadworks, tramway developments, improvements to reserves, &c. The boot-manufacturing and woollen industries improved slightly in some places, but it is said that the outlook is still not good. Unemployment generally has, as usual, increased to some extent as the freezing and other seasonal occupations finished. Total engagements made at Department's employment bureaux : 1924-25 —3,890 (1,206 to public works, 2,684 to private employment) ; dependants, 4,021 ; in addition, 385 persons were assisted, by the advancing of railway fares or otherwise. 1923-24 —3,877 (1,859 to public works, 2,018 to private employment); dependants, 3,814.

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