H—llA

105. This table shows the ebb and peak periods of activity in each of the seasonal industries. The three major industries (meat processing, freezing and preserving, dairy factories and wool-stores) built up their male staff by 8,405, 1,494, and 1,240 respectively over the period of their seasonal expansion during the 1946-47 season. For all of the seasonal industries shown in the table, the'additional number of male workers absorbed between mid-August, 1946, and mid-January, 1947, was 10,626. The variation in the case of women seasonal workers in these industries is very small, totalling no more than 200 between the ebb and peak periods of employment. In addition, substantial numbers of male and female workers engage each year in seasonal farming activities such as harvesting, haymaking, fruit-picking, market gardening, shearing, &c. No accurate figures are available showing the fluctuations between the peak and trough periods of employment in seasonal farm work. Many of these workers, however, are youths and women, not otherwise engaged, who take up this work only for the duration of the harvesting operations. 106. A noticeable variation occurs from district to district in the time when activity is at a peak in the seasonal industries covered in the above table. In the majority of the North Island districts January, 1947, was the month of greatest activity, while in the South Island districts, March, 1947, was the most active month. Individual districts, however, ranged over the months of November, 1946, to April, 1947. The major seasonal industry (other than farming) affecting the position from month to month is the meat freezing industry with thirty-three freezing-works spread throughout the country. Considerable variation in the peak period is shown from district to district, but the general pattern, during the 1946-47 killing season, was maximum activity in January, 1947, in the northern districts, February in the Southern North Island works, March in Otago, while in the Southland works it came as late as April in 1947. SECTION V.—MAORI EMPLOYMENT 107. While employment has been found throughout the year for Maoris enrolling with the Department for work it cannot be said that the general employment position as it affects the Maori race is yet satisfactory. The 1945 census gives the Maori population of the Dominion as 97,263, of whom 94,488 are located in the North Island. The estimated distribution of the North - Island Maoris over employment districts is as follows :

108. It is known that in the Whangarei, Rotorua, and Gisborne districts in particular there are substantial numbers of Maoris of working age and of both sexes, especially in the more isolated parts, who, though not enrolled as seeking employment, are nevertheless not gainfully employed or are engaged only intermittently in casual employment. This is well illustrated by the results of a recent survey of the Kaikohe area, which showed that within a radius of twenty miles from Kaikohe there were 57 males and 29 females under twenty-one years and 153 males and 12' females over twenty-one years who, while fit for permanent employment, were in casual work or at leisure.

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Employment District. Maori Population. Employment District. Maori Population. Whangarei Auckland Hamilton Paeroa Rotorua Taumarunui 20,770 7,560 11,620 4,190 15,560 2,190 Gisborne Hastings-Napier New Plymouth Wanganui Palmerston North, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Wellington 14,320 3,810 3,800 3,710 6,958