SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1207, 16 August 1911, Page 5

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

SERIOUSLY HANDICAPPED. REVIEW OP THE PAST YEAR* "II would appear, therefore, that, at all events at present, the prosperity of our manufacturing industries is not so much dependent on the state of trade as upon the possibility of securing labour: the trade is assured, the labour is not. Undoubtedly the tendency of the boy and girl of to-day is to avoid the factory and soek work in offices." Tho, foregoing paragraph is from tlio twentieth annual report of the Department of Labour, which has just been prepared by tho Secretary for Labour (Mr. John Loroas). Uβ states that tho outstanding feature of this return appears to bo tho falling-off that hae again taken place in tho number of employees between the ages of 14 and 20 years. Last year between tlieso ages there was a total of 18,960 hands employed, whilst this yeai tho total is 18,17 a, a decrease of 787. A Better Year,

Reviewing the labour conditions that obtained during the twelve months preceding March 31, 1911, Mr. Lomas remarks, inter alia, that the promise of a better year, as far as unemployment was concerned, was more than fulfilled. Skilled tradesmen were mostly fully employed during the winterl The'total number of men assisted for tlte year was 7102, or 1404 less than last year. Of this number, 2181 were, married and 4921 single inch and widowers. Of the total, 4261 were sent or assisted to private employment, and 2851 to Government works. A pronounced shortage- of agricultural workers was experienced during tho early Eiimmer mouths. Factory Hands Unobtainable. "In factories there has been a continued dearth of labour, espscially of girls and boys, and manufacturers have represented over and over again to the JDepartmont how greatly they have been handicapped through tho want of ha:ids. As to whether there is much -chance of getting factory hands in Great Britain to comu to New Zealand, 1 have very grave doubts. From time to time the shortago of hands in our manufacturing industries has been pointed out in the Journal uf the Department, oud lurge numbers tii this publication are seat to -the High ComlnisMoner in London, in turn distributes the information throughout Great Britain. I know that several New Zealand manufacturers have tried advertising in Great Britain lor hands without any apparent success. When the difference in the «K>t of living is taken into account Hit skilled factory-woi ker at Homo has litfclo to induce her to leave England unless it be the.better working conditions ruling in tlio Dominion as to hours and holidays." "Little Hope of Improvement." The dearth of hoy and girl labour and tha continued falling-oil' of hands, Mr. Lomas states- , ; must be viewed with grave concern. "Mr. Tregear in his report last year pointed out that with a diminishing birth-rate" and limited immigration thero is very little hope of any improvement being effected. I can but endorse this statement. Orders for local workhave been refused over and over again in tho textile factories owing to there not being sufficient labour available to tend the machines/'whilst the fruit trade'and biscuit and confectionery trade, as well as others, cannot at certain seasons copo with the work. As to the conditions of work—tho pay, hours, and surroundings— they must be described as very satisfactory. _ The factory legislation of New Zealand is looked upon as safeguarding the Luterests of the workers to a greater ox- , tout than in any other part of the world, and, quite apart from the strict requirements of tho Factories Act, the employees, especially the hoys nnd girls, receive special consideration in regard to wages, lor years past there has been a tendency to pay Bs. to 15s. per week for a start to both boys and girls, and it is not a raro occurrence, for one factory-owner to bid ngainst his neighbour in the same town to attract such labour to his factory. "Tho skilled trades aro- suffering likewise. Thero tire comparatively low apprentices offering, and tho whole position calls for immediate review. Hundreds of girls ranging in age from scventceai to twenty-fivo years are, co-workers with youths and men in offices, and the tendoacy of parents is to give the daughters, equally with their sons, a training to enable them to take up.office-work in preference to any other. This, in my opinion, is one of the chief causes 'of tho dearth of labour in both domestic and factory work, and when tlio point is reached' that wages in offices will bo lower than those iu fi.tories, then, and only then, can a turn in the tide be expected."

Prosecutions. Prosecutions under the Factories Act during the year totalled 102, as ag-ainst 113 last year. Ninety-seven convictions were obtained and five cases ivcro dismissed. Two hundred cases were taken under the Shops nnd Offices Act as against 186 during the previous year. In all, 18G convictions lvero obtained nnd 14 were dismissed.

Arbitration Court. There were thrco cases under "strike." and "lock-ojit" provisions of the Act during the year,- The Court mado 74 awards as -against 89 during the previous year. Cas3s taken by the Department for enforcement of awards, etc., in the Arbitration Court total 5, as against 35 Inst year. Most of the cafes are now taken, in accordance with (he Amendment Act passed in 1908, before the Magistrate's Court, a total of 651 rases boing dealt with in that Court. Tlw total number of cases taken by the Department in both Courts is 656, of which 534 wore won and 122 dismissed. Of the 74 cases'of enforcements of awards dismissed during the year, 15 were considered by the stipendiary magistrates as trivial and excusable, and were disposed of accordingly under Section 1C of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 190 S. In 16 instances the cause of dismissal was owing to conflicting evidence, while tho temaininß cases, not being proved to the satisfaction of the Court, wero also dismissed,.

Dismissals and Fines,

Of tho 54/ cases for breaches of tho Act, 50 were against wharf labourers for a strike at Wellington. This was taken as one pse, and the Department was non-suited. Tho other four cases wra dismissed. In the Arbitration Court cases the ■Department was successful in three, instances, whilst two were dismissed. In the Magistrate's Court 531 were won and 120 dismissed. The fines awarded to tho Department in the Arbitration Court amounted to £2; in the Magistrate's Court, JC6B2 l"s. 6d. The fines in tho. cases taken by unions amounted to .61!) 16s. (in the Magistrate's Court). :