H—llA

Hastings District (Estimated male labour force, 10,300) 122. This district is largely a primary producing one requiring a large pool of seasonal workers to cope with the volume of work offering in freezing-works, orchards, cool stores, harvesting, market gardening, fruit and vegetable canneries, dehydration and pulping, &c. Seasonal industries, other than farming, absorbed between October, 1946, and January, 1947 (the ebb and peak months of last season), an additional 820 male employees. While, therefore, there is abundant work offering during the season, employment between seasons is somewhat difficult to obtain. Enrolments of male workers seeking employment were held to a peak of only 41 on the 31st May, 1946. The majority of men coming out of seasonal work were found alternative employment in the district with some recourse to public-works and local-authorities projects which took on additional men over the winter months. Secondary industries in the district are also of importance, affording employment to approximately 1,650 male and 300 female workers. General and motor engineering, building and construction, furnishings and other wood-manufacturing, town sawmilling, lime-works, printing, beverage industries, clothing-factories, &c., all offer a diversity of employment opportunities and assist substantially towards balancing the seasonal surge in employment. Other avenues of employment include transport and distributing industries, hospitals, hotel and catering establishments, and the provision of various other services. Male vacancies in April, 1946, numbered 30, and at the end of March, 1947, totalled 47. The up-surge of seasonal activities, particularly in the freezing-works and on farms, however, brought vacancies to 218 on 31st October, 1946, and to a peak of 276 by the end of November. Female vacancies totalled 47 in April, 1946, and 25 on 31st'March, 1947. Peak notifications, with 91 vacancies at the end of November, 1946, were again a reflection of fluctuations in seasonal work, particularly in the local canning works. Male notified vacancies in freezing-works reached a peak of 140 on the 30th November, 1946, fell to 15 by 31st January, 1947, rose to 45 on the 28th February, 1947, and were down to nil by the end of March, 1947. Lack of accommodation rendered it difficult to assist the works in obtaining their full requirements of suitable labour, and particularly of slaughtermen, who were most urgently in demand over the season. Male vacancies in all farming activities rose from 15 in April, 1946, to a peak of 66 on 30th November, 1946, but had fallen to 27 by 31st March, 1947 (13 on sheep-farms and 14 on orchards and other farms). The position regarding female vacancies in hospitals has fluctuated considerably, but a fairly steady demand for additional nursing and domestic staff continues. New Plymouth District (Estimated male labour force, 21,000) 123. Although dairy and other farming activities, with their attendant seasonal industries, are preponderant, this district also offers a variety of employment opportunities to the male worker in many other industries. General and motor engineering, electrical manufacture, building and allied trades, furniture and cabinetmaking, fertilizer-works, printing, power-supply, transport, shops and offices, &c., all offer employment opportunities and offset very considerably the instability of seasonal employment. The seasonal surge in dairy factory employment is nearly 500, and in the freezing-works approximately 300, but even so the employment position remained satisfactory over the winter months, although considerable placement efforts were at times necessary. At 30th April, 1946, enrolments totalled 32 males and 3 females. These were reduced to 7 males and 2 females by 31st March, 1947. Female employment opportunities group mainly around shops and offices, hospitals, hotels and restaurants and other servicing industries, clothing-factories, printing, and a number of other smaller secondary industries. Demands for both male and female workers have been rising in the past twelve months. Male vacancies totalled 87 at Ist April, 1946. By 31st March, 1947, they numbered 175 (50 for skilled men, 93 for unskilled men, and 32 for juveniles). Female vacancies rose, in the same period, from 54 to 180. Peak figures for farming vacancies for males reached only 22 at 31st August, 1946, and stood at Bon 31st March, 1947. Unsatisfied vacancies for male workers in dairy factories reached a peak of 66 by 15th September, 1946. All possible help was given to dairy factories throughout the season, the transfer of Maoris from the Rotorua region being of considerable assistance. The Waitara

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