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The following table gives some indication of the development of this type of employment in the Dominion over the past forty-five years :

Table No. 108. —Table showing the Number engaged in Public Administration and Professional, at various Censuses from 1901 to 1936, and an Estimate for 1945

Note.—As stated on several occasions previously, the figures for 1945 are an estimate compiled on an entirely different basis. A very careful analysis of these figures suggests that the basis of compilation is so widely different from that utilized in the censuses that it is obvious that there is no comparability whatever, and hence no reliance at all can be placed on these particular figures. As between 1901 and 1936 the number of males engaged in this category has increased by 170 per cent. When this is compared with the number of males engaged in secondary industries, which had increased by 82 per cent, over the same period, and the increase of 117 per cent, in the number of males engaged in commerce and finance over the same period, some idea of the increased importance of this service to the community can be estimated. Over the same period the number of females increased by over 220 per cent., as compared with an increase of 68 per cent, in the secondary industries and 330 per cent, in the commerce and finance field. As pointed out elsewhere the service industries become more and more important as society develops, and probably at no period in human history has this development been so rapid as during the present century. The increase of females, both in this field and in the field of commerce and finance, is in itself an illustration of the growing realization of equality of status as between males and females in these particular branches of human endeavour. The entrance of women into professional life, and the increasing number of women engaged in important and responsible positions in the public services, are too well known to require any comment in a Eeport such as this. The following table reduces the crude figures to index numbers to give a clearer picture of the development during the period under review :

Table No. 109. —Table showing Index Numbers of Persons occupied in Public Administration and Professional Occupations at various Census Dates from 1901 to 1936

Note.—The figures for 1945 are not included, because, as previously stated, they are too unreliable to give a true picture of the development.

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Year. Males. 1 Females. Total. 1901 13,674 8,653 22,327 1906 15,038 10,189 25,227 1911 .. 18,233 12,555 30,788 1916 .. 23,541 16,858 40,399 1921 29,803 22,082 51,885 1926 34,307 23,948 58,255 1936 37,050 27,686 64,736 1945 14,000 25,000 39,000

(1901 = 1000) Year. Males. Females.Totals. 1901 1000 1000 1000 1906 1100 1177 1130 1911 .. 1333 1451 1379 1916 .. 1722 1949 1809 1921 .. 2180 2551 2324 1926 2509 2768 2609 1936 2710 3200 2900