LABOUR CONDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 558, 13 July 1909, Page 7

LABOUR CONDITIONS.

REPORT FOR JULY,

■A'-GBNURAi/^LAGKNESS.

7 'the departments reports; ■. Ttie following, notes on, the state of the labour market throughout \.thV Dominion, for the month ending June 30; aro taken ■ from the labour Department's Journal, -published yesterday:— '■.]'"■': '■:.- V ""- --V , -'"--.v :.-•■<;:■ •";, "■H^:;;;' irade' generally jhris.'ieen quiet, more especially in the building -trade,, all branches of whiohltyYe been exceedingly slack;-\v In the painting trade alone there are at. -least seventy to eighty hands out of. work, and the promts of them obtaining employmsnt in the near 'future sepms exceedingly remote, There are also a largeinumber o^ Br P."JM«i kUdore , .:labourers, and, ■■; p aeterert >.6ut .pt WDrk, and it is stated by various .authorities that' the position ie worse now-.-thati-it-has been for many years. Bootmaking,. dressmaking, and millinery are, however, fairly brisk, and hands in these trades, harevb^en ? slack;; very little wort' in-hand, and• there are several men .out of. employment,' M.Qarpentry-vafid oinery^ack;'little or: nothing, doing, and actories have had to shorten hands. PauiW iur vary (slack, and n-larp,number of roe? aro out' of work. : Plastering rather on, tho Sid6! very little ' woi-k isoveral men are out), of work. ■■ and '■gasntting:- .There is -little change- ui-theso S f?om last moiith,a a «d' all kept' fully' employed. ; Stonomaßonry fairJy. gtiod,' no hands out of.work^,.-.::. ?. ,v .•',_' b %oadwerking fairly Vusy i. factories working full time, • Oab'notniftking and npbolstenng- slack; •; employers complain that no orders- are coming .in,', andSeveral hands arc out-of work. ■ Coopering fairly busy; little or no change | from Jast had to shorten hands,. Sawttiilhngslaok, ami I number of mills have, had to off. Wood-turninc; etc.: Fa r trade being done. ■faotbriw'. are busv, but others are sock; on, i to Sle" trade can bo said to be fairly busy. f ßtass ttni copper-smithing. fairly .said ;tt-be'iaproViSg.: Electeical eng.neernig fa», ; . but several men aro of employment. W-, turning' slack ;-.very-,Tittle. work ; m ■ ! &.-lroh'andbrass,mouldmg slightly «n----proving; arid can'be said io be fairly/good. Lngemaking slack,-with little prospect::,of. good, ;with all hands ■ Myemployed Bootmaking (repair stops fairly busy-rplenty ;of K Mffling.alwg.-Saddlery making Jair,. and;; employers express them.seW as quite satisfied. ~ ,' ' : j :: Clothing.Trades-pressmaking and;.wUtoervi The latge factories hwe. been kept busy, but Slackness; has'beon -experienced, .an the im'aller' ones 'generally speaking, the: trade has been eWrtmaking, fairlpbusy and expdotedto further improve.; Tailormg-Xfac-. Tories),; slack, with: Very few orders comingrS -Tailoring (order) slack, and has, shown.a Wo6llen-milVm ? fairly,T)usy, with .factories quite satisfied. ■~,... ':,.>,■• ' I A . .Printing, Trades—Bookbinding fairly good, oDC.npietsMPOrt.that fair trade is being done.; Printing'rather on the: slack side, ,anl several hands are out'of employment..- /.: . • , ' Meat' Freezing,: Etc:—Taniung, curryiflg,; felltnonjieritig, slaughtering, ■ freeing, and preserving good; factories working full tinle, and all haride fully employed. V Coaonbuilding. Trades. - Blaoksmithing fairly; and tram-car building fairly good for the season of the year, -And a al'iftlit -<yn;the. previous- month :is-being; shown,' ;./;,•. .• .v- ---! Cvcle" and motor trades .slack,:;;wiHi; little nwspect of ah ; immediate improvement. ;^;,. P forty.-: bnemen have been public : and pri-vale-.etnplojmenfc.duriag.:,the,>pMt; inonHi conrorisine sixty ; iriarried and;;eißhty-o.ne slPIl; num-. bei^ applicants'ifof work dttring therpenod. is considerably b excess of those placea^bit every effort has been made.,to .find, suitable employment in Vthem, more especially for local married men. ■.In ;.a 'largo.number ot ca.«s ; these, men object'to leave the city, for cbuntry'work, cspeoially-:at , .tliis..time otthe yeaf, and -local work lias therefore been-.of-fered ae it became 'ayailaWe'. i .Dur.in(: the lattertfart of tlio month bushfe!lmg>fld railway ■ttorfc were freely 'offered .to thoseVfnenwho •were willing and capable to undertake It, but .In not afew casesthe. offer .;.Wa6... dechned. ■Thert are anumber--, of callers still .on: the books-quitounsuitable for any kind: of liard manual labour, and; at the is almost impossible -to , place them. Those assisted: comprise bricklayers, .carpenters ■am! ,.Kintfs,: cngiheersi■-', ifthdsj^and:labourers. >;.. ■; : ; 'v /: j'^,- ;,

' '■':■'; ;>C■■ v, r - : ' : ; AtJOKLANI). : .;'■: ." :i: : : % : >■ ■■' 'There is practically no change'in the ephdibion. of /trade aftd.labour.! in; this district; but what littlo change* occurs, is- really for :the". worse, in .bo 'far '.that.•there.' are mere mon'calling t6,rc g isleAh>r names f&r -wrtk than during the previousperiod. Building trades, Vgenew"*.. speaking, are; very quiet;., and .there are a large number of tradesmen. buVof workV ". Bricklaying..'is .in the same condition as was' the. case last:month.; It is reported-by the-'union- secretary that there lire somo thirty; men J unemployed, but an examination of : the employment-book shows one man only ■:■ ae being .registered. Carpentry and joinery very slack; there: are thirty-two Carpenters registered as out of.-woric. Paintne still Very Black, there being no fewer than twonty-nihe ;painters. idlo.; Plumbing,trade quiet, there being tiyo nienrcgisteredoutot: work/;'..KSttmemasonry—There;; .are,'. several; tradesmen out.of .work.. - J , ':,:.' :■' '■'■ ■\Voodworking and clothing tradee generally .are slack throughout.'. Engineering trades are very slack..; Unfortunately there has ■ been a considerable ; increase in the number of 'unskilled men registering their names for 'Wfli'lc; thero are; 284 men /on ,, the Department's books, While 153-tradesmeii are also reported idle. During the period from May2o to June 19, soyenty-three men were •assisted I 'to Avork—viz., eleven married and sixty-two ' single men—sixty-nine of; whom wore sent-to private .. .■.,'■ '■•■V':. V> -..CHRiSTCHURCH. ; . :.v;. • ■ Very little improvement is. shown, Antici'mtious in regard tb,.tJie boot trade havs npt been realised, and it will bo necessary, in eoiro factories .tb' either- reduce hands or to employ the workers on short time; • Sevetal fair-sized building contracts are .expected out shortly. -The -unskilled, labour. market Bhows a large increase- of unemployed. : Unfortunatelyj most of the married men are uh-, willing- I '** unable for various reasons to leave J 1 the town for ATork. ■ .' '" ". ■

Trade in ihe city for W first fortnight of the month was oxcellont, duo no doubt to the influx of visitors to tho Winter Show, but, unfortunately, these wore not maintained, and during tho latter half, trade has fallen below normal. That.is particular y noticeable in the drapery textile branches. Occupiers in .other ..trades give brighter reports, but, on the,whole, trade for the month has not beori up to, the average' of tho period.m previous years Iri the building trades, though:condtions.aro vorv dull, employers do not anticipate a .continued depression. Strenuous ..eftorts. havo, boon made to "provide work for tho . ar|o number of unemployed, and the City Coittcil, Harbour Board, and brainage-Board-have given: the Department their active and prao, ticalas'sietance to.this/end- y■ ■ "■'' ! ' : : :'.! :-'v- ■■ ': r \ X-:- "NAPIER.:":/^- V - '■ ■ :: - 'Avgeneral' is: reported/ General proffpeots for ;,W. future < ore very bright; but : ior: tho pVesenf it-is not wise frir men' stoking'WorkHo Avasto; time and. money Vconiing into this 'district Tho applicants for" unskilled employment 'have '-not B&m very numerous.. It,has-been reported tliat the Borough Council has; given ■•tdV-ri\linW\bf--tfl«ii v tbat- ; blierr-sorvicea ; ' i ivin; no longer be requited..- V/ith>Uieso mon out of omSoyment: prospects are vcry-.gloomy;-f The skilled trades generally-fehow an; improve-, rrierit.'an.d the '.various .retail trades.are doing satisfactory;business.• '• ■'■ _'.;: ! ';;,,;'.,.;'■ : . '...■■ : : :^;; v ;:'-; : \vANGANm-.:;/;^;..^ v: ;:';'. ;, -An upward tendency is,noted.' , .'JMahy firms 'stateVthat, it-is ,moroly,,th6, tightness a of money thai is causing the. slump. ,There is plentWof workiflhead, but traders and manUFacturers experience such gttat difficulty- m getting money in, that. .they -do,-not_. feel, nlstified. in- entering: into. ..f.urther;. : co4itracts until the .money-market-is- easier< ■;n<. ~ y ■. " ;;•:. ■■'U.'- •■^.■.;#HA|E^ i >H'^^v' :: ; ':If anything* ' thb • is -.more , Workeirs in:the; 'bricklaying; v .cafpentermg, and painting trades have;, been'-'putoffj but ah:improvement is'hopfedifor-very-soon, a,s there is a contract for the hosprtal.-.which will bB let at,ah early date. The number of applicants ■ for work has increased, no fewer than thirty-six men having registered uames during 'the-motithr- Five'.of tneso have"been sent to bush-work, and"two. to private ' ; emplbyment'. In the coacu-building trade there.iß'a slight improvement,-but not sufficient to warrant the employment of additional hands. :. The . tailoring: trade. .hae slackened off during -the mdnth. -; Engineer•Aig trades are very dull.at present, and are not likely to improve untirthe sawmills get '. into full working .order. ■ ;i~ ~]\ '' ; ; : v/'■•:■■ ./■-■■■.'-'■■• .-FElLDlNG^ ,■■■; : ; i:r;,;' ; :j- ; , i'iSusinessgeneraify is, quiet, although ; the retail trades have livened, up a little, Several men have been:seenon the road during the ■>,- ( '■■.■■■'.'■■■:■.:. ... ..'.■'; NORTH. 'I- v ': Retail trades have (had a fairly, busy _time preparihg )fof the midwinter show. and In-dustries-Week. ; -Now .that these two events have passed' Off business is ■ very quiet and seasonable; 'Work 'generally'has been-/very scarce, -men being , put .off. m : all branches .pi trade:. ; ..••■ N '-■■■■■•■■: ..•-• ' .: : --"'; .:.■ v':;'. V : : ;y-- ;; ; ,: ; : ;.;.MASTEMON. ':. ';V'-: _■ ;■■;.. '' Some trades' have ..shown a. slight ; tendency towards improvement, wlnle remained as before--still very, quiet., reports received, the retail trad* shows signs of firmness, not previously noticeable. Building trades are expected to, become more active in the 'near future, 'bufatv present thev are still 'slaoki 'Brickwork, pipe and .brick making remain very quiet, consequently;; a number of men who usually enjoy steady work ban obtain:-. only, lntermittoiiV employment. Goachbuilding-and ,blaeksmitlving,are gather d'ujeter than last month;' The .manufacture and sale-of, furniture received ■a'-check; this month, owing to the extensive 'sales of; tot-. niturei bedding, and general ing place at spmoof the.local «hotelß, , But- ■ terand cheese/factories-, in most : "instances llave;closed-:dowp"fpr r the'seiisol[iv;;.A.; ~:;.v': : : : Biisiness gen'eraily''has;been;normal?There W'beeri , ttJslight improvemont'in-the buildingtrade,'which vis now taking effect-oir tattdred -'trades.-<: There has .been very; little demand for unskilled kbour,'and.the'number 6fmen seeking .work has been, increasing.';■• :;|.v:'; \ y' ■;;;' UOTON JREMRTS.-V;i 'f.'; : :k ;■;;.;• ■■■i : Reports" ;of.union 1 , secretaries- fpr-the''■Wel-lington district are asiollow:—. ' ■;.•-■•-•;■;■'■;-•■•■ Bricklayeirs.—Trade is at present in a very depressed condition.' :Fnlly thirty men : are' walking fibout doing .nothing, , and the riiaiority of the men who-v are ■ arc makinc only short time-kmo, week on an< bnb off. A largo riumborjof men have.left tho district, during -the; last three .months. :but thines dp .not seem.much';brighter for those : fomainins. : There no -,pro- ; spects of-,the. trade • picking up_ at present. ! as the number of buildings: in courseVof erection is gradually getting smaller, and this, of cour3e, puts' a certain number of men > on the market.. The. new' b'uilmltg'e.-;'projected are very few, and will not.Suffice to keep tho nunAer at present:'employed goins;, and su urban work chimney-building) is : at n standstill.- .'.'.. ;::.-' . .".■..'■'.: : Amalgamated Society of Engineers.—Trade is still very dull. ,'.The number of u'neniployed is snialle?,: owing to a. percentage-:.of members getting work'in Australia, and'a-.larjre number getting other 'work than . at-' their regular occupation. There aro twelve tur- ( ners, fitters, and.erectors signing, tho cm-ployment-bbok; Several new -arrivals from Home'and South : Africa havo ; helped to swell the nuwb'ers. .- ..' ■<:"■; : ■ ' •■'■ ■'.■'.;■••■ ■ : . ' Plumbers.—Trade is still very dull. Thero ire six members of this. union known' tp : be >ut of WOrk. .-'•■■•■. ■'.. '..'■■:■'■' ■'~-';-.