LABOUR CONDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 739, 11 February 1910, Page 6

LABOUR CONDITIONS.

V/REPORTFOR JANUARY,

! of''% ! - a 'I^^^^T^}o^^'\ 'HTlie/journal!ofthe. Departmentof.t/ab-pur/issued'-'yesterday; .'gives the. if'ollowing notes/piT-.laßour;' cbndiuo'hs during -:Jahu-' a!£y!v-//'' f: :'-.-. ■'■•-•'-■' "■'■'. !/.•".""". ;-/-.- : !'"• ■'• :

/./;;'; :-WEIjLiNGTbN/>. ; ' ,/,,;.-.-/ /,.: Trade/generally has'- been /fairly-good, , althbugh;a'rslight faliing-ott/bn ,'tne'- pre-. Ivipi's-'inonth-'lias •been,' expefienced.;J3u)ld:ihg 'tradesvgenerally-"'Ere 'rather idn ' tho' 'sfack;-' side;: iClpthing .trades', are busy/ and. in' tho .department a scarcity 6t'':lab'our.v-i^"- being. bxperjlenced.-, , 'Eetail6rs report 'that.. good:- business/is ;.hcin'g done,'' and express themselves as quite' Satisfied". ■ Generally 'speaking''trade'compares more: than •favourably, with 'the corresponding mbjith' of' last year.'. :,:: :. '/,V:/',:■' ■/Building'..trades':/ Brickliiying/quiet, 'and .the'ro : 'are;'many-'h'ands'but of employment: Carpentry and i6in'ery^'Wprk'»has/ I 'iuctu''; ated'considerably .'.during': the/month,: at* times' a' ; few:/men;werb,','idl6;'.;but',towards the''bnd''ab"6ut , ed';-nothing: like, the distress exists, hbw:-ever'j/'which-existed during the late winter. : /Paiiitihg very slack; 'many.'.m'en' idle, and'little'prospect/of aii iminediato' improvement. ; v^Pia;s'tering;/busy,': '''and'''all hands' are':fully.'emplpyeci;' /Plumbing and! gasfittirigfairlyi'Busy.'.and-there!are very few/hands 'seeking-.employment.;■.'..Stohe-masohry fairly busy, and no men-are. put ■of(work.:■.:.:■:'■''■ ; •.'':.-,!:"!.;;.-■;'.' ';'" : '■'

■Woodworking "hades:.- Boxmaking fairly busy; factories working full time. Cabinatmnkirig and ,-upholstering .'— These trados are fairly-good; some employers report that fair trade-is being dono, but others report a slackness; there are a few hands out of work. Coopering—Good trado is being done, andfactorics are kept busy. Sash and door factories-rather on the slack side, with little prospect of on immediate improvement. Sawmilling slack; factories-report that littlo trade is being done..".WboiMurning, etc., only.fair.. • Engineering trades: Bpilermaking veryslack; little.or nothing doing; thero is little.prospect of an immediate- improve- ' nieht' Brass and. : cpper-smithihg,fair;;a slight: improvement is being experienced. Electrical engineering ■'■—. 'Little or no change from last month;, fair .trade is being : done. Pitting and .turning stilt ' very slack; employers complain that there is nothing doing: Iron and brass moulding slack; no improvement on the previous month: .Range-making slack; .very few. orders coming in;'tie,trade is practically dead.■'''-'■'' " ','' ' „'■. "'." --. Leather trades: Bootmakrng—Factories very busy;, plenty of ■■ orders coming :in, and;factories working'full time.;' Repair-, shops' fairly busy; Saddlery and harnessmaking'fairly busy; employers report that fair trade'is being done.: '■'■>.'■, "•'.', -I 'Clothing trades: Dressmaking.and mil-, linery-very busy, and difficulty is. experi-. ence'd in getting hands. ,Shirtniaking fairly. ■ busy, arid .a shortness of ■ hands is being experienced. ; Tailoring: .■ (factories)—Failtrade' is "being don- I .' Tailoring. . (order) busy/and. quite on'a- par with the. corres'ponding'morith of last, year.' Wopllenmillirig fairly busy, and factories working full-time.''.-' ! -'--. ■'':■■- '. 1 V ' . - Retail trades: '• Clothing, boots, drapery, and .groceries—Fairly.' good: trade .-.being done.:--'.;.'» ■' ..' •-"' ■. ; ■■,'. .--.' ■:;; ; ... ' Printing trades:. Bookbinding and P"nt-, ing.'fairly 'biisy;.employers "report'■•-that-fair to''good::trade is'beingtfbne.'; ■:. . .; Meat ifeezingi'etc'!:: Tanning,' currying, arid ■■'•'fellmoh'eririg.v ..and'-.; slaughtering, freezing, and preserving busy; hands. lull? employed,:and factories kept going-lull '.Cbachbuildihg. /trades':'.'': Blacksmithins fairly busy; hands fully employed. Coach, carriage, and, tram-car -building lainy busy, ■ and factory ' occupiers report that they are quite-satisfied with the amount, of trade .being done: "l": -,'•> -•.■'■ .' "• ■' ;,■ " I'■; Cycle arid motor: trades", busy,, and.. a slight' ihip'roveirient is : being Experienced. ■ Unskilled labour':. There "has .been, ••■a marked ;falling-bff'•' in the number, of applicants .for.employment,, the majonty k .ol callers' being;'as' .usual, ..single. men, who wero .found employment ,in, or otherwise assisted'to, country districts'-where .work was offering. : Most of ;tho: immigrants :by. 'the Ru'ahine 'and.arawa.-^hp'called ta.the Department. (esr*ciaUy, those used to agn'ciilturai:and..dairying: work)^had ; .no satficulty in finding "employment,;as: mand for 'this class :.of labour has ex-, ceeded the' supply.' :There -|has'beon-- ; a slight increase in'' the demand for local, -unskilled labour; 'and preference has been : givento:Tesident married me'n.fDnnng the period 108' married ..arid, single, men-, have, been found<employrnent, ,69 ••being.sent.to, private employment/and: 39,-to ..public ■ works.. -^.:■'.>.:,--:'■■ ■'''■■'■ ■"'_ /•"•'.-.,•: "•"-.'