H.—35.

others generally recognized as factories. The statistics for the latest year available, 1923—24, show the gross and net product, value of plant, and number of establishments to be as follows : —

Factory Production, 1923-24.

The connections between the facts disclosed in this and preceding tables will be analysed when the relations of primary and secondary industries are discussed. Distribution op Occupations. A survey of the numbers of people employed in the various occupations supports the conclusions reached from some of the tables presented in the last section. The following table shows a great increase in the numbers employed in dairying during the last ten years, a slight decrease in those employed in pastoral pursuits, and a big decrease in those employed in agriculture : — Numbers employed on Land. Agricultural. Pastoral. Dairy. Total. 1915-16 .. .. .. 25,000 53,000 49,000 127,000 1917-18 .. .. .. 16,000 56,000 47,000 119,000 1919-20 .. .. 16,000 60,000 56,000 132,000 1921-22 .. .. .. 18,000 48,000 69,000 135,000 1923-24 .. .. .. 15,000 52,000 77,000 144,000 Comparable figures for the secondary industries are not available over a long period on the basis of the classification used in the previous sections and taken from the official figures for production. But the census returns give some interesting information regarding the distribution of individuals amongst various occupations. Here, however, the classification is again different. Primary industries are taken to include fishing, mining, and sawmilling as well as farm production, and industrial pursuits include treatment of raw materials, all manufactures, building and construction of all kinds, and gas, water, and electricity supply. The next table| gives the percentage of all persons occupied in the various classes over a period of thirty years : —

Percentages occupied in Industrial Groups.

This table shows a considerable fall in the proportion employed in primary production. Most of it is due to tHe relative decline in numbers employed in agricultural as distinct from pastoral occupations, and the last decade shows but little decrease. The heavy fall in the industrial group during this decade is more noticeable as it occurred before the full effects of the depression of 1921 were felt. The increase in the proportions occupied in commerce and finance is due mainly to an increase almost eightfold in the number of women employed ; in the public administration and professional group women have increased slightly more than men, and in the transport and communication group the increase has been mainly of men. Summary and Conclusion. The foregoing survey of the facts of our industrial development brings out certain broad features that need to be stressed. Of the total value of production as estimated by the Government Statistician, from 71 to 73 per cent, is represented by primary production, and the greatest part of this is directly from the land. On the land, dairying has been growing rapidly at the expense of agriculture, and pastoral farming, which has been subject to greater fluctuations, appears to have declined relatively to the primary industries as a whole. There is little difference to be distinguished between the rate of growth of the secondary group industries and the primary group. The apparently parallel rate of progress is due to the fact, obvious from the analysis of the secondary industries, that they are in the main complementary to the primary industries. The largest of

152

Gross Value of Vl p™ d °* J et ; Value of Plant, Number of Class of Product. Product (in cAdded Value <^c - Establishments Millions). in Millions) j MiIiions )- £ £ £ Animal food .. .. .. 33*1 6*8 8-5 538 Vegetable food . . .. 6-4 1-7 1-9 130 Drinks, &c. .. . . • • 1*9 1*1 1*2 211 Other animal matter . . .. 1*1 0-5 0-4 66 Wood products .. .. 5-9 4*3 3-3 625 Heat, light, and power .. 4-6 2-2 15-8 146 Stone, clay, and glass .. .. | 1*9 1*5 1-4 166 Non-precious metals .. .. 3-1 1-9 1-9 375 Publications .. .. . . j 3-6 2-7 2-5 292 Vehicles ! 1-9 1-2 2-2 738 Leatherware and saddlery . . 3-0 0-8 t)-6 161 Furniture .. .. . . 1*4 0-7 0-9 294 Chemicals, &c. . . .. 1*0 0-4 0-5 60 Textiles .. .. .. 1-5 0-7 0-8 16 Apparel . . .. . . 3*9 1*8 1-6 311 Other classes .. .. .. 2*7 1*7 2-0 342 Totals .. .. .. 77-0 30-0 45-5 4,471

1891. 1901. 1911. 1921. Primary production . . .. 35-8 32*9 28-7 27-7 Industrial .. .. .. 27-9 29-7 29-4 26-5 Commerce and finance .. 11-0 11-7 14*5 15-0 Domestic service .. .. 9-9 10-1 9-7 8-3. Public administration and profes- 6-3 6-9 7-2 9-4 sional Transport and communication .. 6*1 6-4 8-0 9-6 Indefinite .. . . .. 3-1 2*2 2-4 3-5