H—44

(d) Tanning Shortage of labour has given some difficulty iu this industry during the year, but, except for the lighter and finer grade leathers of types which in the main are imported,, the country's leather requirements were met satisfactorily. Locally-grown hides and skins are still made available to our tanners at stabilized prices, but on such quantities of leather as are exported the subsidy requires to be paid, so that full cost is reflected in the export price. (e) Sundry Leather and Travel Goods Production of handbags and travel goods has kept pace with demand and retailers now have ample stocks. Certain types of frames for handbags are now being made in New Zealand. Gloves are now mostly made here, but the finer leathers used are still imported. SECTION 6—BUREAU OF INDUSTRY (a) General Review During the year the Bureau of Industry has continued to carry out its functions in respect of those industries which are licensed under the Industrial Efficiency Act,. 1936. The continued buoyancy of post-war trading conditions is reflected in the large number of applications received both from manufacturing and servicing industries for new licences and for extensions or replacements of plant. In considering these the Bureau has been concerned to ensure, as far as possible, that expansion has not been carried to a stage that will render industry unduly susceptible to any tapering off of the present high level of demand. Continued attention has been given to the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen w T hen dealing with applications for new licences and transfers of existing licences, and in this respect close collaboration has been maintained with the Rehabilitation Department, (6) Personnel of Bureau Two new members were appointed to the Bureau during the year. Mr. R. V, Jackson, of this Department, replaced Mr. G. A. Pascoe as Deputy Chairman upon Mr. Pascoe's retirement from the office of Acting Director of the Industries Division, and Mr. J. H. Manning replaced Mr. Nelson Jones as a special member when Mr. Jones retired from business and resigned from the Bureau. (c) Licensing of Industries No new industry was licensed during the year and none delicensed. The number subject to the Act remains at 27, which include the manufacture of agar, apple-juice, asbestos cement, bituminous roofing, cigarette-papers, colloidal sulphur, footwear, hand-shovels, linseed-oil or linseed-oil cake, macaroni, malt extract, nails, paper pulp and paper products, paua-shell products, petrol-pumps, electric ranges, rennet, rope and twine, salt, rubber tires and tubes, wooden heels, the extraction from fish livers of nutritional or medicinal oil, the canning of fish, the milling of flax (Phormium tenax), the sale of motor-spirit by wholesalers and by retailers, and pharmacy retailing.

12