8. Duties of Junior CWrkq- One Clerk is responsible for keeping the accounts of workers recruited, for work in the U.S.A. The other Clerk is responsible for typing, filing and other clerical work. 9. Finance: The amount provided in the Estimates of the Colony for the maintenance of the Department during the year was $11,515 made up as follows:- Personal Emoluments: ...... $9,896 Other Charges: >..... $1,619 II. GENERAL REVIEW. 10. Population: The total population of St. Vincent was estimated at 73,500 at the 31st December, 1954. The working population is estimated at 30,000. By working population is meant the number of persons between 15-65 years of age who :vork, for pay or gain or who are offering themselves for such work. It does not include retired persons, pupils at school, persons in institu- tions, persons who for va.rous reasons are unable to work as well as persons who do not undertake remunerative work e.g. housewives. The working popu- lation is being constantly replenished by young entrants to employment at the rate of some 1,200 per annum and by the return of workers from abroad e.g. Curacao and Aruba. The population is increasing .at the rate of 2% p.a., that is, it will double itself in about 35, years. The population problem is very acute especially so as there is a preponderance of females over males in the child- bearing group i.e. from 15-45 years of age. In many advanced countries the prepoAcaerance of population is in the higher age-groups with the result that the population is fairly constant. In St. V'incent, on the other hand, the pre- ponderance of population is in the lower age-groups with the result that the population is increasing very rapidly. The population problem is one of the major problems of the Colony.. 11. Employment: St. Vincent is an agricultural community and employ- ment is seasonal. The slack period is from July--October. Despite the labour problem, however, the employment position during the year was much better than the corresponding period during the last 3 years. This was due to careful planning and the number of activities undertaken by Government and by private enterprise during the period. It is intended to undertake Public Works activities, wherever possible, during) the slack period in order to provide employment at a time when very little work is available in agriculture. An employment Committee under the Chairmanship of His Honour, the Administrator, met twice during the year to consider the employment problem. The Labour Commissioner also met the Planters Association and appealed to the Members to do their best to extend their activities in order to provide as much employment as possible. 12. Unemployment: No figures are available to show the extent of unem- ployment in the Colony as no Labour Exchanges are maintained. 13. Training Schemes: Training is provided by the Public.Works Depart- ment for .a few mechanics, by the Medical Department for Nurses, Dispensers and Sanitary Inspectors and by the Education Department for teachers. 14. Domestic Science is taught at the Girls' High School. Thern is a Craft Centre in Kingstown where Domestic Science and Handcrafts are taught. The Senior pupils of tfe Kingstown Schools attend at this Centre. There are also eight Handcraft Centres in different parts of the Country for adults. These Centres are under the supervision of the Education Department. 15. Wages. -There are 5 Wages Councils as follows:-(1) one for Major Crops (Sugar and Arrowroot) (2) one for Minor Crops (3) one for Industrial Workers (4) one for Shop Assistants and' (5) one for Domestic Servants. 16. The Wages of Agricultural 'Workers, Industrial Workers. Domestic Servants and Shop Assistants were increased, by statute, during the year. III. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. 17. Trade Unions: (a) The membership of the General Workers' Union at 31. 12. 54 was not known. (b) The membership of the United Workers Union at 31. 12. 54 was not known. (c) The membership of the Federated Workers' Union at 31. 12. 54 was not known. (d) The membership of the Teachers' Union at 31. 12. 54 was 250. (e) The membership of the Civil Service Union at 31. 12. 54 was 120. 18. The Civil Service Association was registered as a Trade Union on the 12th February, 1954. The Association was previously registered as a Friendly Society.