LABOUR CONDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1439, 14 May 1912, Page 6

LABOUR CONDITIONS.

T DEPARTMENT'S MONTHLY REVIEW, i ' AN AVERAGE MONTH. The "Labour Journal'" for May contains the usual bulletins ol the stale ol tradu in the Dominion. The Mlowing are some oi the details tor lov, lis iu the Wellington district, and iu touch with Wellington:— Wellington. At the time ol writing there iias been an apparent slackening in trade, but tno excem-n.c PiiMliesS ilono 111 liie simps in the first pari, oi tno month, wlieu tiie haslet' liiiiina.v.s nccurreu, iias ktpi llio returns on a steady level, so that imports from snopKeepers generally lor tno mouth have been very tnvourabio in tone. At this time in tiie previous year Uio weather was most unseiisoiiable.* it is not so now, consequently those retail trailers who have to move goods in season are doing a niucii improved business. Tho building trades are maintaining a steady volume uf business. With the exception of tho cuachbuililing and cycle anil motor trades, reports from lactones are exceedingly lavourable. There i-, a marked briskness iu the clothing, shirtmaking, dressmaking, millinery, and woollen factories, and there is a constant demand for "more girls." This want is now more acute than ever, orders in many instances having lo be refused on account of the scarcity. Slaughtering and freezing operations have been brisk, but: tiie end of the season is well in sight. Building trades, fair. Bricklaying— Trade continues fair. Carpentering and joinery—Sufficient work has offered to absorb all local hand*. Painting—Only fair, and likely to slacken further as the wet-weather season approaches. Plastering very busy; hands wanted. Plumbing and gasfitting—Trade very good. Stonemasonry now quiet. Woodworking trades active. Cabinetmaking and upholstering very brisk. Boxmaking and coopering—A very busy month has been experienced. Sash and door factories—No rush of business, but a steady trade. Sawmilling, very fair. Woodturning—The improvement reported last month continues. Engineering trades only fair. Boilerniakiug fairly busy, chiefly on girder work. Brass and coppersmilhing—All hands are • fully employed. Fitting and turningFair business reported, chiefly on jobbing work. Iron and brass moulding fairly active. R-angcmnking—An improvement has been noticeable. Leather trades, fair. Boot factories are fairly active, but trade is not so good as it was this time last year. Repair shops are busy. Saddlery and liai'iiessmaking— Fair trade has lieen done. Clothing trades, active. Dressmaking and 'millinery—All workshops arc very busy, and in mnny instances sufficient workers cannot be obtained. Shirtmaking very busy; operations could be considerably extended if girls could be got. Clothing factories tire working at high pressure. Order tailoring is busy all round. Wool-len-milling active. Printing trades: Both in bookbinding and printing trade continues brisk. Meat freezing and preserving: Work for the .month has been very active, but is now waning, and the end of the season is in sight. Tanning, currying, and fellmongering: Exceptionally busy, but no extra hands are wanted. Coaehbuiiding: As anticipated in the previous report, trade has been quiet. Cycle and motor trades very slack, arid improvement is not expected nntil next season. Unskilled labour and general: As is usual'at this time ot year, the number of men applying for employment shows an increasing tendencv. With the slackening of farm operations there has been the Usual migration to Wellington, especially' from tho South Island, and, "although a Department iias had no special difficulty in meeting the wants of applicants, it is evident that with the approach of winter the applications for work will considerably increase. As to the prospects for tho winter season, the present indications show that skilled .tradesmen., should bo fairly well employed, and the chief difficulty will bo to place men who ore unskilled and general labourers. It is expected that with the putting.iu hand of the foundations of the new Parliamentary Buildings a good deal of employment will bo offering for unskilled labourers, and preference for this work will, of course, be given to local married incn. The co-operative works now jn progress in the Stratford, Gisborne, Nelson, and Marlborough districts should provide for ether cases where tho men are able to leave tho towns. During the period employment has been found for 150 men (59 married and 100 single), having 18ti dependants. The majority—loo—were sent to private employment, and 53 to Government works. Those assisted comprised, besides labourers, bricklayers, carpenters, clerks, farm hands, miners, and plasterers. Of those assisted, 60 were from the North Islam], 53 from Cheat Britain, 30 from the South island, 7 from the Commonwealth, and 3 from elsewhere. There were also five wives assisted to join their husbands ill ■ the country districts. Palmerston North. Work during tiie past month lias .teen fairly plentiful, .nml trade has been satisfactory. The outlook is very hopeful indeed, although with the approach of winter it may be expected there will lie a little less' outdoor work available. Carpenters and female workers, especially tailoresses, are iu demand, while coat lu<nds are very urgently wanted. Otaki, Generally speaking, trade has been on a par with that of the previous month. In tho building trades there is a considerable amount of work being done, and houses are being erected ill many places about the township. Shopkeepers report business as fair. Outside work has been interfered with, owing to the bad weather prevailing. There have been a few swaggers passing through the district, but none have applied for work. | Masterton. During the past month trade and labour conditions have continued quiet, and with very little indication towards improvement. The freezing works and dairy factories are beginning to slacken, consequently several workers will be thrown out of employment. The amount of work for which tenders are being called indicates an improvement ill the building trades. Other various branches of industry maintain a steady output, and tho I majority of regular hands are working full time. A considerable amount oi scrub-cutting is going on and offering on the stations in the district; this will absorb a fair number of men during the winter months. Retail trades have no,, shown any buoyancy in clothing, boots, or provision branches. Wanflanui. There is little alteration to report in the condition of trade and business generally. In the factories all the hands linvo been kept going. Outside labour made very good time up to the last tew davs, when the wet weather retarded operations somewhat. Retailers report a fair month's business, and the cold weather of the past week has caused a demand .or warmer clothing, and given a filiii'i to the boot and shoe trade. There is still a lack of employment for unskilled workers. but work is expecled to be put in. lwml during the next few weeks wWeh will relieve the slight depression existing. Employees at llio local freezing works have had a good mouthy but ■ rnm now onwards a slackening off" is anticipaleu. Now Plymouth. The went her has been very changeable (luring the mniii.li. to the great disadvantage of outside workers, who, m nnonce, have not been able to put in iuli time. Shopkeepers report Hint Irasle lins been rather quiet during the month, Manufacturers, en the whole, carrot complain. The enbinetninknig _ .trade Ims been busy, nsu! order tailoring in most shoiis lias been vevv rood. The building trades are not so brisk as at iast report. Napier. Generally speakin?, the period under review has been well ui> to I lie averase. The grocery business has had a good mouth. The drapery business reports to hand indicate a. very good monthin many instances end-of-eason sales nave been held, and the result's have been fairly satisfactory. The dressmaking <iwl millinery slill continue busy, anil tho short* age of female labour is still causing inin rhesp J rade:-. Hie: tailor- , injr' trad® still contiuucs brisk. Tiia

fi,i<!iliorv and harness trade continues fair, (ill hands being fully employed. The fur13if 11 ro trade is riorum], and them lias not been any demand for labour. In tho engineering trades many moil have Sosttiwo through slackness of work. lm-llding trades show: a slight failing-off. The building trades have .had a Rood month, with the exception ot bricklayers. The freezing works arc gradualy easing d(T. The waterside workers have had i fair month, but the "easing-off" at iho various freezing works has been the cause of slackness at the water-front. The unskilled labourers have not been in very (treat demand, and tli!> supply has more than exceeded the The, comiTiene.ement of the Napier-Gisborne railway lias caused an inrush of labourers, but it would bo advisable for men contemplating coining to Napier to first make inquiries, as (hero is at the present snflicient labour to meet all demands. Hastings. Trade conditions are very encouraging and with/the influx of farmers, etc., to the .stock soles each week the business of the town naturally benefits. The drapers have had a fair month, and in some instances business lias been exceedingly brisk. The tailoring trade st'll continues busy. Cabinet-making lias improved slightly, and no applications have been received for employment. Coachbuilding still maintains a fair position. The building trades slii! conlimio active. Tim fruit-cunning works at Frimlcy have had an exceedingly busy month, but tho shortage of suitable labour considerably curtailed the operations. The unskilled labourers have had a good month, and there is every indu-atlon that these conditions will continue fur some time lo come.