SKILLED LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 161, 1 April 1908, Page 8

SKILLED LABOUR.

EMPLOYERS COMPLAIN OF'SCARGITY. IMMIGRATION ADVOCATED. - [iiY TELEonArii.—srEciAii, correspondent.] • . ' Auckland, March 31. '■ There is'.a,, scarcity of "labour in' Auckland .that is seriously: impeding, the output of,local''manufactures.in.overy direction, and if the "difficulty is hot adequately dealt with, there, is .reasonable causo for apprehension' rogardihg. the futuraJof somio industries that have been fostered m tho Dominion., Inquiry yesterday elicited the fact that tliero is a shortage'of labour in nearly cvbry branch of. skijled workmanship. " We could do with a hundred hands if wo could get thorn," ■ said the manager of one woollen-mill, and his was only oho of many similar statements. All tho local industries appear to .be suffering for want of labour, aiid,.'as a consequence, thousands of pounds' worth of local orders'remain unfulfilled. Ohd urfortunate result of this state, of affairs is that the effort ,to build-up local industries will.bo largely.'nullified. ■" : ■, "Five years:ago," said one. largo woollen -manufacturer, in thocourso of conversation yesterday,, "wo practically stamped out 'tho importation of men's suits. • To-day they ; aro 'coming /into 'the- country in' larger quantities than ever. ;Tho reason is that the colonial 1 woollen mills . have s'o dissatisfied theii - custopiers .by thbir inability to supply place's orders that-the latter have become disgusted and.' sent their orders abroad. This would not have'been brought about to anything like tho same bitpnt if. we had kept faith with our customers-and , Supplied .them with our goods, but-wo. could ;not.". ' Mr. J..-HI-,-Maekie, secretary of- the ;liidustrial Association, ■ stated that thero ivas iio doubt '.there .was a / considerable requirement for-'labbur in' many New Zealand industries.:' There was a general dearth of skilled labour throughout tho Dominion. In his opinion, : it-ii'as' to'to regretted that any opposition had; been shown, toi tho proposal to import labour, "'because a number of New: Zealand industries had. reached the st'ago of absolutely, refusing orders. That meant that tho distributors'; of : the6o goods wero com-, pelled .to seek elsewhere "for supplies,' with the natural'result that . a growing, business was being' doiio in the. imported, articles that could be profitably man'ufaptured' in tho Dominion,. if i tho : labour wero. available. In My.- Mackip's "opinion',' a section of tho community, has. taken'.a . wrong, view .of this question of' tho supply and demand of skilled labour'.for'; certain trades. /'.lt. was, obvious, ho \ said, '• that ;.unless the youths, of .-tho • colony britered into" these .trades ;sldlled labour, from ■other parts must bo obtained., Ha thought that thei . importation into the Dominion- , of those' who were' immediately qualified to tako up';- positions was,' necessary,. or.. else, .'New Zealand st'ould'. encourage the; immigr'atibjri of families .who;would educated here, 1 and .take up industrial. work. Mr. Mackio Suggested "as, a poasiblo .remedy -for the idifficulty. a 7 conference' between > tho representatives of employers' dnd;,the' labour uhio'ns. : '.,i.SuchJ a' conference;.' lib->.thought, would; do'miich."t'o ,:b'ririg 'ibout a proper understanding. . .. ; A QUESTION OF QUALITY^

: ; PHOPOSED REMEDIES. ; Spme\.city' firms .complain, 1 ;not- so,' much about'. the shortage /of': labour l .as' thb, quality of .that which as-available..; ..■ v- /We -finclrlabburj'plontiful, but thb;quality bad,"' said .'Mr. ':. Jojiii Iprin'cipal of )Yilson's Portland. Ceirien't' Company;. It ,is almost - impossible; lip - get all-round . men..' in any' line to tako oharge of the simplost job. The' state, of is. .Jargely.-'duo. to .the Government policy or ,spoon-feeding, which has had/a; most .demoralising. tendency, It lias brought .labourers t6 believe that if they,canriot.^earii living .in thoy. have, 'a;right tp"fall back on the Gbverrimorit for their :This,policy had a.bad effect in England iri"lß3o,' and it is having , a bad effect; here: ' Then, again,'the' Labour Departm'orit horo : has a bad system of receiving casual . complaints from employees/ Tho Department, should , insist on all complaints brfng' written, and . signed, and' then have thorn investigated." ; ' '. ; ' ' Mr;. Wilson said-his" firm was seriously -feeling the, scarcity' -of;/ good labour, which seemed, to be .disappeanng altogether. ; " People are hardly able to learn a trado in; New Zealand now,"., he continued,, because apprentices ; aro-limited to such an extent., and: whon a -ybung -fellow ,i learns a trade he is not allowed by.tho law to work: K : . the,labour-'union refuses him a nbrmit. what is. ho';to do' v • : Questioned; as.;: to, whether,:ho .thought /a. conieronco, between employers and-labour represeritatives, would bring, .about a' better condition, of . things, Mr;' Wilson ; replied - iii the.'negative. In his opinion thbro was no .intention on. tho part' of the"labour agitator to meet-tile employers,on their, merits. "It.is'.the policy bf'the agitator to insist that the labouring, man. is. being; robbed; and -that- tho employer , is ;taking.-;every shilling from..him;,'' .lib said.,,- " The .agitator is .tho whole; tro'Uble. I don't tlii'nk .a conferoiico, would bring about' any good at all." Mf. Gcbrgo; Eraser;, President' of, the Ironmasters'; Association, said that,. onb..,or' ; twb departments., of the, iron. - industry/, were greatly' fpr;waiit.of.labour. This ; wa.s particularly the case' iti the 1 boilcr-makiiig departnierit. >His firm' cttiild • not extend in. that line because '.they had'riot the labour to meet requirements; '..Mr.. Eraser ,'sfiggos'ted. -as -a reiuedy,' that; a; largo, riu'mber. ..of.. families should'lie brought; into New Zealand. Thby would; as'they .grew-up, .'meet' reqiairements, p.ria;'be < ; a.h^lTs^tb/the : 'counti7.\\ v' Other, iea'dirig' mariiifabtu'rersV con-obprated the, staUjinerit * made, tliat.. tho .present, shoftagb of labour 'is; compelling distributors'to go in irn'phrted "goods// Tliis.. is not tlio fault, of tho ■ ■ diStributbrs, who ~are .'.anxious to''obtain' the local article, but cannot obtain it.";', ;Tlio general opinion is that thb- labour unions', are "taking wrong attitude' ,in objecting 'to fresh lab'oiir coining, into the country.. ..> V y

_ ...Various;reiriedies■:wore- suggested by leading meu'whose businesses are. affected; Ono gentleman '■ propounded a scheme whereby the Government shbuld 'circulariso all employers; asking', for particulars of tho labour they required;,'; - .'. A , guarantee.' .could bo {; obtained frpm .tlio;. largo employers ,of skilled, labour, that - they would employ ,a- certain number of hands;.if -they, were-available, - arid the Gbvernment, on ; this, understanding, 'could empower ".'a ; thoroughly qualified selection committee to visit tho Old-Country arid engage workmen, wKo'-might be -as'sisted-.to 'th«-Do-minion.: When they- arrived' hero' they could be 'allocated! among' the?various industries according-'.to 'the ;lists ; furnished ■to 'the Gov-' crnment. THE OTHER SIDE. NO SERIOUS SHORTAGE. . ■ t;,(BI;'.TELEGEArH—PEESS -' ASSOCIATION.) ■ . L' . ■ Auckland; March 31. ' Mr.. Shanagban, representing tho' Labour Department in Auckland, replying 1 to thp.em-ployers'-statements, said .there is no' serious shortage .of competent "labour.There is no dxcessivo. demand. one', way or the otlier. ■ Labour leaders stato'that unrestricted imniigrationhas..already been the subject of resolutions • to' tho Trades Conference, , and assert'that there is no justification for the allegation: that thero is a sorious dearth of labour., -V