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Freezing-works, although experiencing some shortage, was fairly adequately staffed throughout the season. Accommodation problems at these works and at a number of the dairy factories in Taranaki increased the difficulty of providing labour, but plans now afoot to provide accommodation for 50 single men at the freezing-works and for houses at some of the dairy factories should materially assist the position in the future. General, motor, and other engineering vacancies have steadily risen from 16 at Ist April, 1946, to 50 at 31st March, 1947 (31 for engineering tradesmen, 15 for unskilled workers, and 4 for juveniles). Vacancies in the building industry showed limited variations over the period, due mainly to the uncertainty in the supply of building materials. They totalled 18 at 31st March, 1947, including 7 for tradesmen. At the same date the Post and Telegraph Department required 20 unskilled men; retail shops sought 16 men ; and the Railways Department had vacancies for 14 males, including 13 juveniles. Female vacancies in clothing factories climbed from 13 at Ist April, 1946, to 54 by 31st March, 1947. After remaining at fairly low levels for most of the year, vacancies in hospitals rose steeply from 9 at 31st January, 1947, to 54 by 31st March, 1947. Wanganui District (Estimated male labour force, 17,600) 124. This district presents a well-balanced range of industrial activities with primary, secondary and tertiary industries each of importance and offering considerable scope for employment of both male and female workers. Nevertheless, there are considerable seasonal fluctuations between summer and winter employment in farming, freezingworks, dairy factories, and wool-stores. The seasonal surge in such industries, other than farming, during the past year amounted to some 650 male workers. The majority of these were able to secure alternative between-season employment either through the Department or otherwise in various local industries. Railway-construction gangs in the district were adequately manned during the winter months, and only to a very limited extent were men placed with the Public Works Department. Enrolments were kept at a minimum, reaching a peak of only 17 males seeking work at 30th June, 1946. In August approximately 40 men were engaged for work connected with the encroachment of the sea into the Wanganui Harbour protective works. Secondary industries are particularly well represented in the district and offer a wide scope of employment opportunities in engineering and metal working, building and construction, fertilizerworks, furniture-making and woodworking, town sawmilling, printing, clothing and footwear factories, woollen-mills, bread bakeries, beverage industries, tanneries, and glass works, &c. Male vacancies showed considerable fluctuation over the past year, largely as a result of substantial variations in the demand for unskilled men; the general trend was upwards with 107 vacancies on Ist April, 1946, and 167 at the end of March, 1947. For female workers vacancies rose from 58 to 94 over the same period. Skilled, unskilled, and juvenile female workers were all in greater demand than twelve months earlier. Notified male vacancies in farming reached a maximum of 28 on 30th September, 1946, but were down to 12 by 31st March, 1947. Sheep-farming vacancies mainly required experienced men, while very few calls for assistance were forthcoming from dairy-farms. Few demands for shearers were received. Vacancies in building and construction rose to a maximum of 169 by 31st May, 1946, with unskilled men for railway-construction, public works, &c., mostly in demand at this period, but by 31st March, 1947, they were down to 10. The demand for labour in engineering and metal working industries reached a peak on 30th November, 1946, with 29 vacancies, falling to 20 by 31st March, 1947 (3 for general engineering, 12 in the Railway Workshops, and 5 for motor engineering). On 31st March, 1947, 42 female workers were required in clothing and textile industries (32 in •clothing-factories and 10 in woollen-mills), while hospitals required 24 female workers on the same date. Palmerston North District (Estimated male labour force, 23,900) 125. The past twelve months have indicated considerable expansion in industry both on the outskirts of Palmerston North urban area and in a number of the smaller towns throughout the district. Some fifteen new factories, each offering, employment for small numbers of employees, have commenced during this period, while existing

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