TRADE AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1418, 19 April 1912, Page 3

TRADE AND LABOUR.

"A REGRETTABLE LACK OF BUOYANCY." IN WELLINGTON. The Trado and Labour report for March in Wellington is as follows:Orders ior Iho new season's goods and the approach of I lie Luster holidays has tended to considerably brighten trado in tho clothing, drapery, and boot shops. Provision shops, however, report a quiet month, and in shops not dealing in the necessaries of life Micro has been a markC'llttn !Iv C 'T' l'"f' l . ° an 011, - v -1 re-{■r-wil n buoyancy in the retail trade generally. In oilier industries, howA» n J s arable steadiness ? 0 ,£-' V ,l "' . "'f'ance. the building trades continue to be sufficiently busv to absorb all local workers, and reports from manufacturers are, 011 tho whole, distinctly favourable in tone. Building trades: Bricklaying-Trade has continued fairly good. Carpentry and joinery—ln the city trado has diminished, Out in tho country districts plentv of work offers. Painting-Sufficient work has cflered tor local men, but thero is 110 inducement for any additional ones. Plastering—Good trado continues. Plumbing and gasfitting very good, and likelv to keep above normal for some time. Stonemasonry —As indicated in the previous month's report, trade is now quiet. Woodworking trades: Cabinetmaking and upholstering—An improvement was evident, and trade is fairly brisk. Boxmaking and coopering—The resumption of work in tho meat trade has made this trade active. Sash and door factories—A pood month is reported, and few men are idle. Sawmilling—An improvement was noticeable, bur trade is not bright. Woodturning—A demand for 'round-finished furniture has caused a consequent improvement In this line of trade.

Engineering trades: Fairly steady work is reported, but there is 110 demand for extra hands in any branch. Boilermaking has been fairly brisk. Brass and coppersmithing—All hands have been kept fully employed. Fitting and turning—No big contracts are in hand, but a fair amount of jobbing work has offered. Iron and brass moulding has continued active. Rangomaking continues quiet, but is expected to soon improve. Electrical engineering—There has been a slight betterment during tho month. Leather trade: 111 boot, factories there has been an improvement noticeable, but trade is not up to what obtained at this timo last year. Repair shops have been busy. . Saddlery and harness-making— Trade is good, hut there is no demand for additional workers. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery—All workshops are busy, and overtime has been worked in many. Shirtmaking continues very busy, and hands are wanted. Clothing factories—A number of contracts aro in hand, which will keep trado active for some time; the shortage of hands is causing a serious of trade. Order tailoring is reported as very busy, and extra workers are in demand; after •Easter, howover, this demand is likely to disappear. Woollen-milling continues very busy, and hands aro still required. Printing trades: Bookbinding is reported very active, and in tho printing line trade continues very bright. Meat freezing and preserving.—Work is at high pressure, fully 40,000 sheep a week being killed. Tanning, currying, and fellniongering: More hands are employed than at this timo last year, and trade is good. Coachbuilding.—Thero has been a drop in trade during tho month, and. prospect? are not bright. The blacksmithing branch is fairly good. Cycle and motor trades.—The weather conditions have not been favourable, and trado has not reached expectations. Unskilled labour and general.—Conditioas during March have been equally as satisfactory as those which, existed in January and February, although there lias not been the same demand for workers. Tho Department has not had very much difficulty in finding w.ork for most of tho applicants, (he only trouble experienced being with those who were ri i physically capable of doing heavy labor.: Ing work. Locally the demand for unskilled labourers appears to be slackening off._ especially. towards tho end of tho month.' However, it is expected that with, tho commencement of the work in connection

with the new Parliamentary Buildings this will largely provide for the needs of local applicants during the winter months,

combined, of course, with other woilt in progress in the city. Thera is etill a demand in the country districts tor men used to roadmaking and railway construe-, tion, but invariably it is founti Unit men newly arrived in the city take up this work rather than thoso who Imvo homes in the city itsolf. .Not many more than twenty applications were reccirod fivm farmers (luring March for hands, nml it is expected that until next spring there, will Ik> very few men engaged; in fcer, from many parts of tho North Island implications have, been received from ■ i'mm hands, stating that owing to the ."fiiijg o!' the dairying season they are ."lVivluMe for employment. An insistent demand for ploughmen for the South Island cannot bp met. A very large number tpuld be placed in tho South Canterbury mil North Otngo districts. Coalmining is also reported to be brisk on the West Ccn-t, and the Department can place ovn\ thirty experienced men. During the month just ended employment has been found for ISO men—viz., 52 married and 131 single—having IGI dependants. Of this total, 122 wore sent to private employment, and G4 to Government work. Those assisted comprised carpenters,, engineers, farm hands, hotel hands, miners, and labourers. Of those assisted, GS were from tho North Island, .19 from the South Island, 5 from tlio Commonwealth, "1 from Great Britain, and 3 from other parts.. , MASTERTON. "During the period just ended trade and labour conditions havo been considerably quieter than during the previous month. This is accounted for by the fact that the principal operations of the season, in the way of harvesting, etc., are almost completed, causing numbers of men who experienced a casual run of employment for the last two months to look out for other openings. The building trade throughout is also Tepnrtcd as being much quieter. During the pait month there has been a fair demand for navvies, for road-contract work, and they wero practically unobtainable, although good wages and steady employment for six months was offered. The textile trades, tailoring and dressmaking, having experienced n fairly steady period of employment. Tic tail trades throughout I7ie almost quieter than lust month. The local freezing works have experienced ■ a very busy season; there are, however, signs of "slackening. HASTINGS. The general business transacted has been equal to that of. the corresponding period of last year. Drapers, clothiers, rind tailors have had n fairly good month. Tho building trade still continues brisk, with tho exception of bricklaying and painting. The business transacted at tho various cattle and sheej) sales is a sure indication of tho prosperity of the settlers in and around this town. NAPIER. Tho conditions prevailing during the period under review havo been well up to those of tho same month of last year. Drapors and clothiers report a fair month. Tailoring still maintains a good position. Dressmaking and millinery havo been fair. Tho hat aud cap manufacturing still continues busy. In-tho umbrella manufacturing conditions have been'good, and there is every likelihood of this continuing. Tho engineering trades have slackened somewhat during the month, and men have been discharged. Coachbuilding has been somewhat on tho quiet side sinco last report. Unskilled labour has been a little more plentiful this month, tho supply having exceeded the demand. During the period seven persons were assisted to employment. OTAICI. Reports received from factory owners and retailers indicate that trado generally! is very satisfactory. The building trades are still very busy indeed, and a uuin'ber of new buildings are in course of erection. The tailoring trade is also very busy. Retail trades are on ol:out a par with the previous months. Creameries are still wcrkiug at high pressure, and the farmers generally have had an excellent season; there is an abundance of feed, and stock looks exceiitionally well. ' FALMERSTON NORTH: Trade has been generally satisfactory during tho past month, and the outlook is very fair indeed as regards tho future. Several buildings arc being erected in the vicinity of Palmerston North; and workers in theso trades have been busily cmployed. Building trades: Bricklaying fairly busy. Carpentry and joinery very fair. Painting verv good. Plumbing and gasfitting quiet. Stoncmasonry fairly good. NEW PLYMOUTH. Much better weather has been experienced during tho period under review

tlmn previously, t ith tho result tbat outside workers : iai"o been able to work practically full time. Mhilo the manufacturing trades lia.-o continued busy, retailers have had rather a quiet month, and no improvement is cspcctcd until now goods which arc just to hand <:«.• opened up. Building trades: Bricklaying—'Very little work going 011 at present. Carpentry and joinery busy. Plastering—Very little doing at present. Plumbing and gaslitting— Trade continues good. Stonemasonry— Monumental work fairly good. Painting, busy. ' . * ... WANGANUI. It is evident from the reports received th it the satisfactory conditions of trade reported Inst month still continue. Bun ling operations an* in full swing, and the number of largo buildings going lip at present gives quite an air of prosperity to the town., The textile trades are tremely busy, and during the month much overtime has been worked. Shopkeepers have hail a good month's business, especially in view of the fact that this period is between the seasons. .Stock is coming in much faster at the local freezing works • than previously, though it is not thought likely that the time lost at the commencement of the season owing to the bad weather will be inado up. . . .