25

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Forest Service in each year did not vary from its usual programme : i.e., it engaged men for its planting season —-viz., June to October. The larger local bodies, however, have found it necessary to provide almost continuous relief ever since July of 1926, as is shown by the accompanying table. In some cases the numbers certainly show a marked decrease during the first three months of each year, when men are able to secure seasonal employment. It is apparent at the same time that the provision of extensive works for the unemployed has not had the effect of reducing the number of applications for employment, in proof of which it is only necessary to consider the workers employed by the Public Works Department throughout the year 1928-29. In keeping with the decrease in the amount spent on relief works in 1928-29, there was generally a corresponding decrease in the average number of men employed by local bodies, while the Public Works figures show a marked upward tendency. The average number employed per month by that Department in 1928-29 was 1,124 more than in 1927-28, and 2,370 greater than 1926-27. The State Forest Service figures follow a similar movement: 189 more men were engaged in 1928-29 than in the previous year, and 259 more than in 1926-27. Nature of Work provided. The Public Works Department was mainly engaged in main-highway construction and in improving existing main roads ; the State Forest Service, of course, placed relief workers wherever tree-planting was being carried out; and the small amount expended by the Lands and Survey Department was for the purpose of flax-planting, scrub-clearing, blackberry-cutting, and draining swamp lands. Reference to the summary table attached (XX) will show that local bodies in eleven instances engaged men clearing reserves of noxious weeds, and the work of forming, levelling, and planting of parks and reserves was generally adopted as a means of providing relief in each of the three years. All the local bodies engaged in the work of constructing roads and footpaths, and operations of an allied nature. Charitable-aid Expenditure in New Zealand. Another aspect of relief is to be seen in the payments made by way of charitable aid to unemployed persons, as distinct from the ordinary form of charitable-aid expenditure. According to information obtained from the annual reports of the Health Department, the following statement shows the estimated amount of relief received by applicants whose unemployment was involuntary :— v Number of Estimated Amount ear " Persons. received. £ 1926-27 .. .. .. .. 2,497 64,303 1927-28 .. .. .. .. 3,670 87,497 Conclusion. In the first section of our report we expressed our intention of investigating other subjects —landsettlement, the development of new branches of industry connected with land, vocational education, &c. In this section of our report we have recommended the creation of a New Zealand Employment Board, which, if established, would naturally take up the investigation of these remaining matters as part of their work. We feel, therefore, at this juncture, unless it is the special wish of the Government that we should continue our investigations in regard to the.unemployment problem, that nothing further is required from us. We will accordingly await your instructions before taking up any further line of investigation. We remain, Yours faithfully, W. D. Hunt. T. 0. Bishop, Malcolm Fraser. Oscar Mcßrine. Jas. Roberts. H. D. Thomson. Wellington, 28th January, 1930.

4—H. 11b.