C.—3

Resignations, &c. Several responsible officers have resigned from the Service during the year, the most outstanding loss being the retirement of the late Director, Mr. Leon Macintosh Ellis, who, after eight years of most valuable work for this Dominion, entered into private practice as a consulting forester in Australia. Mr. A: N. Perham, Forest Assistant, Rotorua, resigned to accept an important appointment as Forestry Officer to the recently constituted Wellington City and Suburban Water-supply Board. Mr. V. T. Fail, Forest Assistant and Land Surveyor, likewise left the Service to assume a responsible position with a private afforestation company. Mr. C. H. Reece, Forest Extension Officer for the South Island, resigned in order to undertake work in a private capacity. The field staff suffered a severe loss during the past year by the death of Ranger Johnston. The Engineer in Forest Products returned to the Dominion towards the middle of the year, and a report on the investigations into the suitability of selected New-Zealand-grown woods for pulping and papermaking which he had been carrying out for some months at Madison Forest Products Laboratory, U.S.A., in co-operation with the American forest authorities, was presented to Parliament under the title " Pulp and Paper Making " (C.-3a).

TABLE 8. Staff Organization.—Summary Analysis of Permanent Staff as at 31st March, 1929.

TABLE 9. Comparison of Total Employees.

As will be observed, the year under review shows an increase in the permanent personnel of ten over the previous year, which has arisen partly through increased programme, and partly by granting permanent tenure to certain temporary officers. Also several activities of the Service have been reorganized, and, although the appointment of junior routine officers shows an increase in numerical strength, the increased efficiency which has thereby been gained is greatly in excess of the additional financial outlay and has ensured a general acceleration of activity throughout all sections of the work. 2. Honorary Forest Rangers. The continued assistance and co-operation of the honorary forest ranger staff, which now stands at ninety-six, constitute a very valuable public service which is voluntary and carries 110 honorarium. In many localities, the honorary rangers function as local agents, reporting and assisting to suppress fires, detecting poaching, trespass, shooting of native birds, &c. 3. Unemployment. Afforestation lias always been recognized as one of the avenues peculiarly suited for the relief of unemployment, as the greater part of the planting-work is comparatively unskilled in character and the labour is required at the time when trade depression is generally greatest—i.e., the winter months.

13

ulminis Chief Technical Forest Total Permanent Staff tor Years ended 31st March, Forest Conservation T „*i~ and Conser- Clerical Forest Guards _ ltegion. oifi:™ tnr ! Special vators. Staff. Hangers, and | , I ' | Officers. Others. 1929. [1928. 1927. 1926. 1925.11924.1 1923. 1922. 1921 Auckland .. | 1 3 4 4 12 11 98 6 6 6 7 8 Rotorua .. . . j .. 2" j 1 5 8 I 6 22 21 1 21 .23 19 20 21 20 20 Wellington . . .. ' . . j 1 5 4 | 1 11 13 9 10 8 7 7 6 6 Nelson .. .. | 1 2 4 i 1 86777776 7 Westland .. .. | 1 3 4 1 9798 5668 7 Canterbury-Otago .. .. ... 1 6 8 8 23 21 23 19 20 19 18 21 18 Southland 1 2 4 .. 77766666 7 Central Office ..-2:1 5 .. 19 2 1 30 26 26 25 24 25 24 25 24 Totals ... 2 I 1 7 7 45 38 22 122 112 111 106 95 96 95 99 97 1 1. ■ ' I I

Year. 1921. 1922. 1923. 1924. 1925. | 1920. 1927. | 1928. 1929. Permanent staff .. .. 97 99 95 96 95 106 111 112 122 Temporary officers .. .. 8 10 j 15 23 24 28 31 34 34 Labourers* .. .. .. 168 181 244 280 368 483 764 1,300 ; l,200t Total .. .. 273 290 354 399 487 j 617 906 1,446 j 1,356 * As at September in each year. f Forecast.