SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1418, 19 April 1912, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

INDUSTRIES HAMPERED. LKTTiili TO TJU; lIINJS'I'KR. The Wellington I'mvinc-Kil industrial Association, through its i-ecrctary (.Mr. JL i. AI lull) lias sent the following letter to the lion. LI. Laurensoa, Minister fur Labour:— Sir,—l have the honour to inform .you that the general committee of the abuvetiitinwl association hits recently been discussing the of shortage <'f ■'-killed labour in (he Dominion. .Many of our industries are hampered through this e-ause. A resolution by the association has been passed that 1 should communicate with you, r,ir, oil this important matter, ,'ind n.«k you whether you will bring thu. matter forward, with "a view of tho Government having the necessary iutjiiiries made. The steamers from our Dominion continue to carry many of onr skilled workers to Australia, where, it is estimated, there are 110 fewer than .'ID.ODO .New Zealander.s. Among.-!: this number it is stated there arc m;wy who have recently arrived from tile Old Country, but who find that Australia is offering mueb better inducements for skilled workers than New Zealand is doing. _\g:un. Australia is very active in tlw matter of immigration, and thousands of people are arriving there iron; the Old Country, and have been so doing for some time past. Members, sir, of tho New Zealand Industrial Associations feel that it is high time for the Government to move in the direction of attracting skilled workers from Home to come to the Dominion. It is considered that in the past little, if anything, has been done to bring out any workers other than ' agricultural workers. Members of the Industrial Associations throughout our Dominion claim that our country should be a manufacturing country, and not merely an agricultural country. Trusting t.hat'you will take steps in. the direction desired.