H.—lla.

Where this arrangement is adopted by employing authorities the time factor is adjusted as follows in the matter of work to be provided by the men according to their various classifications :—

Other Forms of Relief. The measures for relief assistance other than by means of Scheme No. 5 work or sustenance are few in number, and retain the form which characterized them in previous years. Relief to persons upon their own farms is one of these measures. The rates payable, however, have been recently increased. The scheme is known as " Scheme No. 4a," and it provides for a measure of assistance to those farmers whose circumstances are such that without relief they would be forced to abandon their properties. The current rates of sustenance payable are as under, the old rates being shown in parentheses : — Per Week, e. d. s. d. Single men .. .. .. .. .. 15 0 (10 0) Married men, wife only .. .. .. .. 25 0 (15 0) Married men, wife and one child . . . . . . .. 29 0 (19 0) Married men, wife and two children . . .. . . 33 0 (23 0) Married men, wife and three children . . . . . . 37 0 (27 0) Married men, wife and four children .. . . . . 41 0 (29 0) Married men, wife and five children . . .. . . .. 45 0 (31 0) Married men, wife and six children .. . . .. 49 0 (33 0) Married men, wife and seven or more children . . .. 53 0 (35 0) The new rates represent a considerable increase over the assistance previously available. The numbers of men assisted under this scheme were 235 at 28th August, 1937, as compared with 532 on 31st August, 1935. Assistance to unemployed persons eligible for relief benefits continues to be provided under the gold-prospecting scheme, but assistance of this nature has diminished, as the activities under this scheme have been converted to what is, in effect, a subsidization or promotion of an industry. Persons still assisted as relief recipients, or grub-staked, to use the usual term, are not permitted to remain indefinitely on the scheme, but must show results from their claims or reasonable prospects to the satisfaction of the Department's engineers in order to continue drawing assistance from the Fund. The number of men in receipt of ordinary assistance and special development (of claims) rates dropped froni 3,007 at 31sjt August, 1935,! to 768 at 31st August, 1937. Those schemes which . have been recently instituted and which in past years may have been regarded as relief measures are dealt with under what would appear to be the more proper heading of measures for promotion of employment. The schemes referred to include absorption of single men and youths into farming activities, and into the carpentry and building trades, &c. MAORI UNEMPLOYMENT. Natives are exempted from payment of the registration levy, but if any Native wishes to obtain relief benefits he may apply for permission to become a contributor to the Employment Promotion Fund. If accepted as such the eligibility of a Native applicant for relief is determined in the same manner as in the case of unemployed Europeans; furthermore, the relief benefits available under Scheme No. 5, or by way of sustenance, to Natives are on the same scale as applicable to Europeans. When a Native is first accepted as a contributor to the Employment Promotion Fund, information is obtained as to his financial position and that of his wife, and periodical reports are obtained from the Native Department as to rents from Native land payable to the Native applicant or his wife. It is the Government's desire, as far as practicable, to engage registered unemployed Maoris on the development of Native lands. It is only when such work is not available that Scheme No. 5 relief is approved, and then only until such time as the Native Department is in a position to formulate further contracts for developmental work.

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Weeks ' Number of j i Days over First. Second. : Third. Fourth. Four Weeks - Days. Days. Days. Days. Days. Class A ...... H !' !' 1 4 Class B ...... 2| 2 2 2 8J Class C ...... 3 2 2 2 9 Class D......3 2 3 2 10 Class E 3 3 3 2 11 Class F ...... 3 3 3 3 12 Class G ...... 4 3 3 3 13 Class H ...... 4 3 3£ 3 13 J Class I .. .. 4 3\ 4 3 141