538 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION G. 



the ratio of profits and capital to wages and earnings, strikes and 

 locks-out — these and several other matters have largely been 

 neglected. The need for statistics of the nature indicated, especi- 

 ally in a country like Australia, which lias advanced probably more 

 rapidly in regard to certain forms of social and industrial legis- 

 lation than any other community, lias been felt to an increasing 

 degree in recent years, and a point has now been reached when it 

 has been considered necessary to investigate the various subjects 

 on a comprehensive basis. In view of the importance and wide 

 i-ange of the subjects to be dealt with it is thought that these in- 

 vestigations can be carried out Diost efficiently by the organization 

 of special machinery by the Commonwealth Government. The 

 present would accordingly appear to be an opportune time to re- 

 view briefly this division of the work of the Commonwealth Bureau, 

 and to outline in general terms the character of the work which 

 the branch is designed to carry out. 



2. Scope of Work. 



Briefly, the main purpose of the new department of work is to 

 cover for the Commonwealth of Australia the various subjects 

 usually included in the term " Labour Statistics." This term is 

 to be understood in a broad sense as including information in a 

 literary as well as a numerical form. Needless to add, it is not to 

 be assumed that the inforination to be thus supplied is of interest 

 to labour alone. Nearly all of it concerns employers no less than 

 employes, and a considerable portion of it will be of vital concern 

 to practically every section of the community. 



Perhaps the clearest method of illustrating a many-sided subject 

 of this nature is by means of a diagram. The accompanying figure 

 represents an attempt to map out in a logical way the main features 

 of the work which the branch will cover. The diagram merely 

 shows the main subject-matters of inquiry, and does not, of course, 

 explain from what points of view or in what manner these subjects 

 are to be investigated. Nevertheless, the diagram may be regarded 

 as fairly illustrative of the work of the branch as a whole, inas- 

 much as the literary features and special articles which are to 

 appear in the quarterly Labour Bulletins and special reports will 

 lend themselves to similar classification. A brief explanation of 

 the field illustrated by the diagram and of the methods to be fol- 

 lowed in covering it may now be given. 



The general field of statistics, as mapped out by the branch, 

 may be divided in the first instance into two parts, namely — 



1. Statistics relating to the amount of employment. 



2. Statistics relating to the nature and conditioru of 



employment. 



