TRADE AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 7

TRADE AND LABOUR.

THE JANUARY REPORT.

GENERALLY SATISFACTOEV. The following arc extracts from the "Labour Journal" on trade and labour during January in the various centres;— Wellington. Notwithstanding the fact that January is usually a quiet mouth in retail trades, shopkeepers generally report that business has been fairly well maintained. Clearing sales are being held in many of the drapery businesses, and the general tono is that trade has been lair, anil compares favourably with the corresponding period of last year. With boot-re-tailers business has be-en good well up to the end of the period. Jewellers report that trade maintains a good level, while ironmongers say trade is only fair. In furniture and general house-furnish-ing departments trade is good. Grocers are doing the usual amount of business, with cash fairly free. Generally speaking, there has not-been any appreeialile falt-ing-off iii trade. Building trades.—Bricklaying has fallen off considerably, and trade is slack; there are Severn! men out of employment. Carpentry and joinery is slightly quieter than during the previous, mouth, and a few men are idle. Painting is only fair, and it is reported there are several men out of work. Plastering is still good, and there are no tradesmen out of work. Plumbing and gaslitting: Trade generally is fairly good, although a slight fall-ing-off has been shown. Stonemasonry: The completion of a few large contracts has caused trade to be a little quieter.

Wood-working trades—Boxmaking: Trado still holds good, and the demand exists for boys and girls. C'abinetmaking and upholstering: Although not, so busy as last month, fairly good trade is being done. Coopering: This is the busiest time of the season; all hands are fully employed and in some factories overtime is being worked. Sash and door factories and sawmilling: Slight improvement on tho previous month has obtained in these branches. Wood-turning is fairly busy. Engineering trades.—Boilevmaking i» fairly busy, and all operatives have been kept fully employed. "Brass, nnd coupersinithing: Good trade is being' di/nc. Electrical engineering shows no improvement since last mouth. Fitting and turning: Steady trade is being .maintained. Iron nnd bra.=s moulding: There has been n slight falling-off in this line. .Ttauge-mnking quiet; practically very little work is being done in this branch. Leather trades, in all branches, have been very brisk. .... .... ~.,-■■ ■.-..,

''CTothing trades.—Dressmaking arid 'millinery: Workiooms are still' busy; there is a considerable dnmnnd for apprentices iind improvers. . Shirtinaking continues busy; all available .overtime is bcinj,' made. Tailoring (factories and order chops): The trade continues at high pressure, ,and considerable overtime is necessary. '■ Woollen-milling is still kept busy, nnd there are vacancies for. boys and girls. Retail trades—Clothing, boots, and drapery: Reports are very favourable for the month, nnd indicate considerable improvement 'on the same period of last year.' Groceries: Fairly good cash trade is being done. l'rintinj: trades.—Bookbindi lift find' printing: Trade generally is good, p'articu-: iarlv in the former branch. Meat-freezing trades.—Tanning, currying, and fairly busy. Slaughtering, freezing, and preserving: This being the height ,of the season, the works are in full swing, and stock is being landed in large numbers and in-good condition. Coachbuildig trades. — lilacksmithing, and coach, carriage, and tram-car building: A good steady trade is being maintained during the month. Cycle and, motor sales have been somewhat quiet owing to the unsettled state of the weather; the,repair shops have hecn kept busy. Unskilled labour.—The local demand for labourers lias been normal for the season. There, is a strong demand for experienced navvies in the country at roadmaking work, and the Department could place nearly 200 men at an average wage of 9s. per day. Harvesting is general at present, nnd hands can obtain ready employment. The demand for dairy-farm hands has slackened somewhat, although the Department still have a number of vacancies open.. Work on the wharf has been fairly plentiful, and at times a shortage of hands has been reported. It it'expected that the wharf-work will attract ii large number of. men during February, owing to the comparatively high wage's ruling for this class of labour as against those paid to workers engaged in other employment. During the period 11!) men, viz., 38 married and 81 single, with 93 dependants—were sent to employment or otherwise assisted; of the total, !)3 were sent to private employment, and 2G to Government works. Those assisted comprised bricklayers, carpenters, engineers, farm hands, miners, printers, tailors, and labourers.

New Plymouth. The weather has continued very unsettled, and in consequence drapers and milliners have had a very poor season, while building operations have been retarded. The milk supply has shown n considerable improvement in quantity during the month, with the result that the output from the- butter and cheese factories has increased. .Should more settled weather prevail for the next two months the annual product will be little, if anvthing, short of Hint of the previous veer." The order tniloriiiK and dressmaking trades show a falling-oIT since' Inst report. Bricklaying has been busier than for some months past; the work up:m which the men are employed is small jobs which will not Inst long. Carpentrv and joinery is not quite so busy as at last report, although all local laVour has limmi constantly employed dnrii'i" the month. Painting has not been so"brisk as at last report. Plastering (outside work) still continues brisk. Plumbing and glutting continues about normal, and all hands have been in constant work during the period. Stonemasonry: Xo building going on;.monumental "masonry continue* fairly regular. Wanganui. The very witisfaetorv conditions reported |a*t niniith liuvi- been well uiaiiifainoil The general air of activity in all f-vldi's i< verv noticeable. All branches of the build,',,.' trad, are b,,-y ,-,,1 « demand for carpenters still i-xisU. 'I ln> elotliin? trade?, have not slackened off to the extent uoial after the ( holidays, and mo"l fact.,rio- still have nlciilr' uf order* on bund. l\Vt.;,l<-v- i'X■V, V.-.-11 s-jlislled with the don, iliiriii« llie.moi.il.. lor. while sale-- were a little qnief diiriu- lie earlier part of the period. (•«ii l -| l | l .r a bl(. litinroveim'iii fulliiwi'd. Hit- demand for unskilled wdvkeis hn< not. been met. ond Bl ,veral »i''l<"- ! <'"' ,I,N '' u !~," • of K P vk( ' v „,.» uiifiilfilled. nrtfklayiii'j-liiiM-: ~,,' ml .-, idle. Carpentry and joiucryT)ein?i"l exists lor house carpenters. P-iiiil-iit" —Tniile n lil'-le i|inetcr than l-»t mn,.th."Plastcrim!-Th.-r<. arn no operatives idle. I'liiinbin? and still bn-.y. with a fair amount of work in Hilit. Slonemaponry fair. palmcrston North. Trade lias heon wnerally satisfaclorr

during lhi> pa-i month. The wcl weather experienced ha* inlerleml -.lightly with oul*idi> wink, but labour lias been lilrnlii'iil all round. c*pi>eiiilly w . •»<■ building trade*. Carpenter-. painter* and decorator.-, plumber*, and tinsmith* have been urgently wanted. Aiming ■•'- male workers and tiiilort—=fi havi: been and :uv still ill good demand, lietiiil trade ha* al-o been very sati*lac,tory, nnd tho eliiiin,'c-ol'-eii*im sales have begun in oil drapery ( .«faoli. , 'liiiH;ii.s. Jincklaving is bns\. Carpentry and joinery very »,;od: houses are beiuK erected in' ninny ]il»ce< riiiinil I'almrrstnii North, and new niiid* are boin , ,' opened up; quite a boom is setiinr in. Tainting is very bu*y; one empluycr says that never before lias viirk been ?o plentiful l«r Hil< sea.*oii of the year: he cumiot get men. and has to ivfu-e order.-. I'liiiubiiK- «"! sa.-fitliiif,' fairly gntd. Stoiiemasonry still verv busv.

Masterton. The general stall' of tnull- 'and lalxiur during I lie month jii.-l I'mU'il inuy b<; reported as fairly satisfactory. 1 lie irri--iil.ii- state of the weather ha?, however, interfered considerably with liaive-Uii<! operation- , , and in consequence Hip «orK has boon luucli delayed. The ilpinaiii lur farm labourers ami liarve-ti-rs lias men rooil. ]'lou»h and sraup iiipu i<"; ,ii ""{" ins mid piiiljunknipnts arc in demand. A considerable amount of scrub is Iji'in., cleared on Kast Coast stations, and lln* lias absorbeil inotv tlian tliP usual numljpr of seriib-cuttors. 'I'he greater number of trades, such as pii»iiieenng, penterin?. phimbiiiß, Wiiok-tinu nil", and conchlmilding. have exponenced a lii'rioil, ami pooil tradesmen in a' 1 "0 every branch h:\vo been in demand. IHe textile trades—via., tailoring ami ilrpss-imikiiiß-havf a full amount of orders hi hand, tin; onprators in racli dopnrtment Ijein? very linsy, ami a considerable difficulty has been experienced m plitaining suHiwiit workers Brickln.viiis i> Hlankeiiing off someivliat; most ot the lar-e lmililinss in brick are completed, and the demand i< decreasing. Larppnir> and joinerv continue very busy; ilium, the montli'a.s well as at present there is a good demand lor tradesmen, and liic prospect of continued werk appears satisfactory. I'niiitin?—A slackeninK-01l i>l hands'is reported, and the rush ot worK is apparently over for the present time. Plasterins: is rather slack; the bulk nt work in progress i? nearinq completion. Not much work of (his description m view. Plumbing and Rusfittiiiß continue fairlv busv; all tradesmen fully employed, but not much demand for additional tradesmen. Stonenia-oiiry-\ ery little work offering, and not much prospect at present. Napier. The general condition? of trade ami employment have maiiilained a Rood averasc during the month lindcv revie\y. Ino wool sales which took place during the month were very successful; (he entries comprised 1>1.150 , bales, and competition resulted -n prices being obtained wliicii were slightly in advance of those ol last ■ year, and which should give the farmers enlire satisfaction. The frozen meat industry maintains a good position, inc. weight of mutton exported for Ine last quarter aggregated 7.526,G821b. The buili - inn trade has found employment l«i - »U availaWe men, and there is every indication of this state of trade lor tome , time to come, l'nintcrs are still tiul.v employed, and'it is pleasing to liole (Jiat there 'has not been one name inserted on (ho uncmploymenl-hook for over tivo years. The lurniture trade has not mailc iiiiv noted advance during the month; trade is about the sanii' as last month, with no largo, orders on hand. Tnr iurliisluni,' of the new municipal theatre may Ciiusn an improvement in the trade. Ihe millinery and dressmakins factories have had a fairly good month, and in some: instances there is still a demand for icmain workers. The grocers have maintained a fair average, month. The general lone of the labour-market is pleasing, and men,ready .and willing., to work have readily iouiid employment. The waterside workers have on the whole hud a good month, nml at times sufficient labour could not be obtained to work (he cargoes. The unskilled labourers have had a good nnjiith. The Borough Engineer has several gangs , engased in various parts of the. district la.vins drains, etc., and thrrp is every likelihood of still further activity. Next month the temlera for the electric tram • system will close, and this work will then be commenced in earnest. The engineering trade has had a. good month. The bakers and pastrycooks have eased off since the early part of the month, and at present there are three employees seeking employment. The agricultural operations have been in full swing, but there has not been any demand for labour. Tile umbrella-making industry is fust gaining a good position, and the only difficulty appears to bo from the shortage of female labour. The capninking is another branch of industry which is growing into proininencv. The value of building permits issued during the period was £IXn.