NON.EXPORTING INDUSTRIES. 
Evidence is not lacking that even the non-exporting trades 
are at the present time suffering from the effect; of trade depression, 
and the following table relating to the Building Trade shows how. 
during the course of the present year, unemployment has been 
steadily increasing — 
NUMBERS AND PERCENTAGES 
BUILDING. ETC. 
UNEMPLOYED. 
(Ministry of Labour Statistics.) 
Monthly Average. 
1927... . 
1928 ... 
1929 ... 
1930 :— 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August... 
September ... 
October 
Total Unemployed. 
114,034 
133.591 
145.700 
197,609 
194,903 
177,705 
160,232 
147,548 
147,082 
130,727 
166,171 
77,369 
200.20F 
Percentage. 
11-8 
137 
14-7 
20-0 
19-7 
17-9 
16-2 
14-9 
14-4 
15-8 
16-3 
17-5 
16.7 
~ Appended “ G ” is a table showing the rates of wages prevailing 
in the chief Municipalities for certain classes of labour. 
Engineering shop rates range throughout the country from B4/- 
to 62/11 for fitters and from 39/— to 45/6 for labourers. Municipal 
rates for the same classes range approximately from 55/- to 85/- 
and 40/5 to 59/68 respectively. 
It is important to keep in mind, as mentioned on page 7, 
that waces shonld not he confused with earnings. 
There can be no doubt that the high wages paid in sheltered 
industries make a very serious contribution to the present high 
cost of living in this country. 
One cannot suggest to what extent rent and the prices of 
houses would be affected by a reasonable reduction in the wages of