H.—35.

It will be observed that the " added value " has increased from £21,538,209 in 1919-20 to £34,255,719 in 1929-30, an increase of 59 per cent. The effect of price-fluctuations, which obscure to a certain extent the movements resulting from increased and decreased production, is eliminated by " correcting " the figures by a series of wholesale-price index numbers of New-Zealand-manufactured products which has been specially compiled for the purpose. The corrected figures show that the volume of factory production has increased by 61-9 per cent, since 1919-20. The 1929-30 volume-of-production index is the highest recorded during the period under review. An increase of approximately 3 per cent, in the actual added value as compared with 1928-29 was achieved by an increase of 7 per cent, in the volume of production, the increase in volume being largely offset by a fall in prices received. The index number for wholesale prices of New-Zealand-manufactured" produce for the calendar year 1930 has fallen to 1332, so that it is obvious that a very considerable increase in the volume of production for the 1930-31 year will be necessary if the added value is to be maintained at the high level reached in 1929-30. The number of employees (including working proprietors) has not increased in ratio with the increase in volume of production or added value. In fact, actual decreases were recorded between 1925-26 and the two immediately succeeding years, although an increase between 1927-28 and 1928-29 more than recovered the fall in numbers recorded during the preceding two years. The 1929-30 figure (85,797) represents an increase of 17-7 per cent, as compared with 1919-20, whereas during the same period the volume of production has increased by 61-9 per cent. Although the increase in the number of employees has not kept pace with the increase in the volume of factory production in recent years, the importance of the secondary industries as a means of employment is realized when it is considered that no less than 85,797 persons were employed in factory production during the year ended 31st March, 1930, as compared with 119,321 persons engaged in farm-work. Both figures include working proprietors as employees. It is obvious from these figures that the considerable expansion in our secondary industries which would result if purchasers exercised a marked preference for New-Zealand-made goods would contribute very materially towards providing a permanent cure for unemployment in this Dominion. The movement in employment in the secondary industries is illustrated in the following table, which shows the number of employees (including working proprietors) in the larger industries during each year since 1926 : —

32

Number oi Employees (including Working Proprietors), Year ended 31st Mareh, Industry. 1926. 1927. 1928. 1929. 1930. Meat freezing and preserving .. .. .. 5,798 5,428 6,139 6,581 6,139 Ham and bacon curing .. .. .. .. 353 401 394 374 396 Butter and cheese and condensed-milk manufacture .. 4,]40 3,996 4,167 4,288 4,228 Grajn r milling .. .. .. .. .. 675_ 648 697 693 '731 Biscuits and confectionery making .. .. .. 2,592 j 2,655 2,501 2,570 2,719 Fruit-preserving and jam-making .. .. 247 260 309 325 '298 Brewing and malting .. .. .. .. 978 997 990 981 987 Aerated-water and cordial manufacture .. .. 664 689 702 698 697 Soap and candle making .. .. .. .. 4.60 j 473 470 474 452 Sausage-easing manufacture .. .. .. .. 322 I 212 245 494 442 Coopering and case-making .. .. .. .. 218 275 274 366 381 Sawmilling and sash and door making .. .. 9,643 8,198 7,305 7,130 7 381 Woodware and turnery manufacture .. .. 1,042 1,1.08 1.012 1,039 1,112 Paper bag and box making .. .. .. .. 360 358 361 361 '348 Gasmaking and supply .. .. .. .. 2,053 1,929 1,878 1,849 1,796 Electricity generation and supply .. .. .. 1,985 2,363 2,196 2,408 2,459 Electric tramways .. .. .. .. .. I 3,310 3,291 3,136 3,062 2,936 Lime crushing and burning and cement-making .. : 851 899 915 875 928 Brick, tile, amd pottery making .. .. .. j 1,392 1,316 1,300 1,233 1,156 Leadlight-makmg and glass-bevelling .. .. .. 359 375 380 406 423 Concrete block and pipe and fibrous-plaster making .. 564 607 613 698 780 Tinned plate and sheet-metal working .. .. 1,436 1,489 1,412 1,419 1,494 Iron and brass founding, boilermaking, &c. .. .. 955 947 885 85Ō ' 798 Engineering: General ' .. .. .. .. 3,807 3,778 3,668 3,741 3,890 Range-making .. .. .. .. .. 330 331 319 325 400 Printing and publishing and bookbinding .. . . 7,274 7,874 8,053 8,322 8,255 Agriculture and dairying machinery .. .. .. j 1,040 885 779 826 963 Coachbuilding .. .. .. .. .. ],496 1,497 1,469 1,405 1,522 Motor-cycle engineering .. .. .. .. 3,549 4,331 4,483 4,522 5,511 Tanning .. .. .. .. .. .. 495 | 483 422 409 449 FelJmongering and wool-scouring .. .. .. 466 454 456 407 390 Ship and boat building .. .. .. .. 844 780 739 753 750 Furniture and cabinet making .. .. .. 2,767 2,751 2,708 2,675 2,774 Mattress-making .. .. .. .. .. 318 352 361 392 '384 Chemical-fertilizer refining .. .. .. . . .. 583 672 722 719 Woollen-milling .. .. .. .. .. 2,326 2,380 2,451 2,576 2,478 Boot and shoe making .. .. .. ,, 2,541 2,376 2,338 2,293 2,307 Hosiery-making .. .. .. .. .. 498 575 631 701 729 Clothing-manufacture .. .. .. .. 6,833 6,881 7,101 7,501 7,852 Flax-milling .. .. ,. .. .. 1,241 1,193 1,020 I 879 903 Other ... ... .. .. .. .. 5,796 5,486 5,805 6,057 6,440 Totals.. .. .. .. 82,018 j 81,904 81,756 83,680 j 85,797