TRADE AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1388, 14 March 1912, Page 3

TRADE AND LABOUR.

1 OFFICIAL REPORT. I.ABOUi: DEPARTMENT fll-VIKW. The Journal of the Labour Department, published last evening, reviews tho general condition of trade and labour in the Wellington and surrounding districts during the past month is as follows;— Wellington. Reports from shopkeepers are satisfactory in tone. Whilst business wa« not in any way exten.-ivp, sales renpriillv liava exceeded t i,r tin- same month "in last year Hiiilrtinsj trades have been sufficiently active to absorb nil available employment. Manufacturers report a fair roiitiiinanee (if trade during the month in some, liranches-cliielly the clothing, cabinctmaking, and coach-bnihling trades -which are rather busy. Owing to tho strike at the meat-freezing works, a temporary set-back was given to the slaughtering and its kindred trades. Building trades: Bricklaying fairly busy, Jiut no demands exist for'anv extra men. Carpentry an ,i joinerv-CW trade maintained; all hands working. Painting work slackened during the month, and at the moment several men are idle. Mastering still brisk, ami likely to be so for some time. Plumbing and gasfitting-Trade good; all capable men employed. Stonemnsonry—Contracts are approaching completion, and men aro likely to be idle very soon. Woodworking trades; Cabiiietinakiiigmid upholstering—Very fair trade is reported, ami inquiries lmve been made for good tradesmen. Coopering and boxmakingr— .the strike m tho meat trade affected trade somewhat during the month, but normal conditions have resumed. Sash and door iaclories-Steady trade has obtained. SawlmUing only fair. Wood-turning, etc., is just normal. . Engineering trades; Boilermaking-An improvement is reported. Brass nnd copper-smithing-Trade sufficient to keep all hands working full time. Fitting and turning steady, but nothing in sight to anticipate an early betterment. lion and brass moulding fairly active. Kangcmaking on the quiet side. Electrical engineer-iiig-lrade has quietened considerably, local business being slow. Leather trades: Bootmaking—Factories are not as busy as usual, and several hands havo in consequence been paid off. Kepair-shops report steady business. Saddlery and harnessmaking—Trade sufficient to employ all capable workmen, but no extra hands are sought. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and inil-linery-For this time of the year trade is better than is usual. Shrrtmaking workstill at high pressure, and hands could be easily placed. Clothing factories aro busy, and overtime is being worked. Order tailoring is renorted busy, the spell of hot weather being good for trade, which is likely to continue brisk until after Easter, n oollen-milling—lnquiries continue for hands, which is a sure sign of activity. Printing trades: Both in bookinding and printing steady lira do has maintained. Meat-freezing, etc.: The strike stopped trade for about a fortnight. Work lias been resumed, and will be at fairly high pressuro until tho end of the season, which, however, is expected to be unusually slnrt. Coachbnilding trades: Trade has been fairly good in all branches. Cycle and motor trades: Business very brisk, a general increase of trade being reported. . , Unskilled labour and general: T»ore has been little or no troulile in meeting the needs of applicants during February. Tho demand for unskilled labour for work in the country districts continues unabated. Any man used to this class of work was immediately placed in employment. A largo number of farm hands made for the South Island, where harvesters were reported to be in demand. There has been a decided slackening-off in the call for dairy-farm hands, and it is evident that the milking season is drawing to a close. The placing of immigrants, newly arrived from the Old Country, has'given the Department no trouble whatever; in fact, nearly His whole, of the applicants from tho lonic were placed within forty-eight hours after arrival.' Sixty-four men from Great. Britain were 'dealt with during tho month. They were a particularly good class of men, and employers wcre's-atislied with their capabilities. During the period employment has been found for 153 men—viz., ll married and 109 single, having 130 dependents. Of the total, 110 were sent to private and ■13 to Government works. Those assisted comprised bricklayers, carpenters, engineers, farm hands, hotel hands, miners painter?, and labourers. Fifty-nino of those assisted were from the North Island, 2i from the Soiita Island. - from the Commonwealth, CI from Gieat Britain, and -1 from other parts. Otaki. Tho general conditions of labour have not materially altered siueo last report. In somo instances, especially drapery, there has been a slight increase in trade. Tho dairying season so far has been a record one; the local butter-factories are working at high pressure, stock generally is looking uell, and there is an abundance of feed. Shearing operations havo now finished, being very late this season owing to the wet season experienced. Farmers complain of the lightness of the wool. The flax-mills and the basket factories are still working at high pressure. There is no demand in the district for unskilled labour; a few bush contracts and roadworks have been let, but local bauds can more than fill the demand. Palmerston North. Business has been very satisfactory for tho season of the year; the weather has been fine, and outside trades have been well maintained. Farming, dairying, etc.: The results are better as com pared with the corresponding month last year, and ! tho butter output is much larger. Flaxmilling is now in full swing, and floxcutters are wanted by several firms. Urfskilled labour: Very few workers of this class are required. There are sufficient local men available to meet any demand. Maslerton. The condition of trade and labour for the mouth just ended has continued satisfactory. The demand for several classes of workers, tradesmen nnd also unskilled labourers, has during the latter part of tho month exceeded the supply. Reports from the outlying districts show that there are comparatively very few men •'on the reads" applying for employment, consequently there is an increased demand for workers from the cities and towns. Several factory occupiers have found considerable difficulty in finding suitable hands to cope with increased orders. A number of recent arrivals from Great Britain have experienced no dillioulty in boiiig placed at various kinds of employment. Building trades still maintain a fair level., although there is not ■ now the same demand for tradesmen as experienced a. few months a;o. The textile trades continue fairly busy with orders, and all operatives are steadily employed. Retail trades havo reported a slight slackening oil'. Harvesting is practically now completed, but threshing a.nd chaff-cutting operations are in full swing, and competent men are in request for this work. A difficulty ha.s been experienced in obtaining th.-cMiing-miU hands, notwithstanding that gucd wa*es have Ireen offered. Dairying continues'in lull swins, but no hands are now required-Scrub-cutting and rabbit-poisoning operations have absorbed a large number of men throughout the district, and more arc still required. Fifteen unskilled men «;cre assisted to private employment. Wangar.ui. Trade generally is gond all round. Both factory-occupiers ami retailors are well satisfied with tho volume of trade transacted during the month, which compare* very iavounbly with the curre?pondin:.' period of last year. The building trades have no , , slackened oil'. The engiiwerins trades have not been quite so bu*y. One or two of the dressmaking factories have closed down, but more on iicronnt of »1loivii": thi; hands « holiday than because a I' shortage of work. New Plymouth. Considerably improved weather conditions have iii-pvaili'd during the period under review as compared with the previous on'. , . The output from the biiKer and chei'-p factories has been much in c.vr'e-s [if anticipations: it is even >.'xpectrd that the oiitmi , for the season will reach I he standard'of la-t ye.ir for belli ijiuintity and quality. Iu view oi the tHWactory prices 'wins iPceived tor fhocie, MiH-c i- a ro.;-ibility oi several li'ittcr fectorin? manufacturing nhepfu licit season.. Very ten" applications lor

unskilled work have been received. Inquiries have been received for farm hands (dairy farms) and pick-aud-shovel men. All local labour sc.-nis tu bo well employed, and ihei-p is almost a total absence of "Swaggers." Napier. Reports received from th* Tarious .-uurrcs. are encouraging. Since the intimation of an early start with the NapierGisborno railway there has been an. inrush (if applicants for work, and no less than 108 persons filled in the necessary particulars for work on this line. The majority, however, arc net prepared to leave the district in search of work, and many are at present in employment, therefore (he position is not quite so acute as (he figures would indicate. Tho waterside workers havo had a fairly good month; on some days tho labour was insufficient: to capo with the work; as against this there wexe days when men weio idle. The wool and grain st'jre workers havo slackened considerably, most stores having reduced t'lio number of employees consequent upon the completion of tho wool season. The value of building permits issued during the period was .£10,816. Hastings. There is a marked activity in this district, and one is impressed with the optimistic reports received. All round there appears to bo a general impetus both in retail and manufacturing businesses, and tho rapid expansion of the town must of necessity bring increased business. In conversation with various employers, there appears to be a general consensus of opinion that the proposed reduction in the railway fares wilt materially assist business. Tho drapers and tailors have had a good month. The grocery business has maintained a normal position. The building trades have had a good month, the only noticeable exception being painting, which branch is somewhat dull. Tho engineering trades have kept about normal. The blacksmithingand farriery is busy, and at present there aro vacancies for three good farriers. The unskilled labourers have been fairly busy, and thero appears to be every indication of a continuance, as the Borough Council are biisy with sewerage and wnter-mnin. The value of liuilding permits issued during the period was Nelson. During the mouth a change has taken place iu weather conditions, and farmers generallv aro busy harvesting lato crops. The outlook as far as fruit and hop crops are concerned has considerably improved, and good returns aro anticipated. Generally speaking, all factory operatives have made full time, and few, if nny, men are out of employment. Shopkeepers express themselves as well satisfied with the month's business. The building trade can be considered about normal. During the month thero has been a. steady demand for men on road and railway works, also men for harvesting and general farm work. Although there are no large contracts for earthworks in the city, all local labourers are fully 'employed, and there has been no difficulty in placing men coming from other districts.