The Juvenile Employment Committees consist of representatives of educational and industrial interests in the districts, together with other persons especially concerned in promoting the welfare of boys and girls. In the year 1917, the Minister of Labour decided to associate with each Employment Exchange a Local Employment Committee (at first known as a Local Advisory Committee) to secure for the Exchange the full benefit of local knowledge and to bring it into close touch with employers and workpeople in the district. Local Employment Committees are composed of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workpeople, together with a certain number of additional members (not exceeding a third of the total membership) who are not necessarily connected with industry—among the additional members representation of ex-service men is provided for. The Chairman is nominated by the Minister and the Committee themselves appoint a Vice-Chairman. It is one of the most important duties of these Committees to keep a close watch over the state of employment in their area. Where the local unemployment is severe, it is open to them to urge upon local authorities and private employers the need for widening the field of employment where necessary, and also to advise the Minister with regard to any difficulties which might be removed by departmental action. At the present time the Committees assist in the selection of men from the Exchange registers for employment under schemes devised to relieve abnormal unemployment. _See_ pp. 187 and 191. The Work of the Ministry of Labour