H—ll

(c) Employment Promotion (1) The general high level of employment and the high number of vacancies in industry have been maintained over the past year and the only employment promotion measures initiated were small-scale seasonal schemes which provided work for a number of men during the winter months. (2) In the Gisborne area, where seasonal fluctuations in employment are particularly marked, the problem was very largely met through the requirements of labour for a drainage scheme initiated by the Cook County Council in conjunction with the Public Works Department which employed up to 70 men. This undertaking, which was necessary work to minimize flood danger on the Poverty Bay fiats, was subsidized from Soil Conservation Council funds and by this Department. (3) To a lesser degree the Timaru district is faced each year with a winter employment problem, and in this case special winter employment schemes providing for a small number of men on necessary works were undertaken by local bodies in the area with the aid of subsidies provided by the Department. (4) Apart from these winter employment schemes, the only other employment promotion measure operated to any extent was Scheme 13. This scheme has been used mainly to retain in useful work all the year round a relatively small number of men who, for various reasons such as failing health, advancing age, &c, would be unable to obtain ordinary employment if the employer had to pay full wages. On 31st March, 1948, there were 41 single and 187 married men employed under this scheme, a total of 228, as compared with the total of 280 on 31st March, 1947. Most of these men were fit for light work only and were located in districts where the range of employment opportunities was limited and where, due to the domestic circumstances of the individuals concerned, it would have been impracticable to expect them to accept employment in other districts. (5) All the men employed under the scheme are registered for employment, and everything possible is done to place them in suitable private employment when the opportunity arises. Those men remaining on Scheme 13 are subject to constant review. Their wages are subsidized to an extent which brings their earnings up to the award rate for the type of work performed. They are allocated to different local bodies, charitable institutions, &c, and are engaged on work such as vegetable-production, maintenance of parks and reserves, school grounds, and lime-production. (6) District Officers have also, in some cases, been able to negotiate subsidized -training with private employers, who were in a position to offer reasonably light work. The effect of these training subsidies has been to industrially rehabilitate men who, by Teason of physical or other handicaps, were generally unacceptable to private employers and for that reason were likely to remain a charge on State funds. (d) Maori Employment (1) Outstanding features of the Maori population to-day are its rate of growth and the extremely high proportion of juveniles who, over the next decade, will be joining the working community. The Maori people are largely resident in localities distant from the main centres of industrial activity and it is desirable, therefore, to pay particular attention to expanding the employment opportunities for Maoris in alignment with this increasing population. (2) The Department has directed its attention during the year towards this objective. As a means of co-ordinating the activities of the various State Departments ■concerned with the welfare or employment of Maoris and the location or development of industry, Government set up, during the twelve months, a Maori Education and

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