TRADE & LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1599, 16 November 1912, Page 5

TRADE & LABOUR.

THE MONTH'S REVIEW. The "Labour Journal," published yesterday, has the following report, on, trade and labour in Wellington during Octo< j ber: — "Trade still, continues to improve, and most, industries aro either very busy and working oyertime or full time is being: made. Tailoring especially is very busy, and overtime is being worked, but bricklaying was slack last month, and there are now no unemployed. Engineering, however, is dull, but range-making ia busy ,in all branches. Retailers report good average business. "Unskilled labour: The month has bcon' a fairly,' - good one, and .employment has j beon: freely offering for alt classes of workers. There was no special demand for unskilled workers locally, although there do not appear to be many capable men idle. Tho outlook for the coming summer is improving, an<l several liirgfi contracts about to be started should provide work for all local men . for several months to come. The Department placed a number of men on the new Parliamentary Buildings foundation-works; it is unlikely that men, other than skilled labourers, will be required there for eome considerable time. "Tho demand for men for country work (such as . roadmaking, scrub-cutting, and flax-milling) still obtains, and the Department can place all able-bodied applicants deisirous of taking suclv employment. Men alroady dispatched from ■ the oity hav® in several cases.failed to put in an appearance at the work, and tho bona fides of later applicants have had to bo carefully weighed before they were sent away. There is still a large number of vacancies open for farm hands, especially in tho dairying districts, and employers complain of the serious handicap tlioy are under in not/being able to get "the required • help. It is obvious that with tho advance of the season and given dry, warm weather, there will be a more serious shortage of farm labour than has been experienced for many years past. The incoming oversea steamers, crowded with immigrants, bring a small proportion of farm workers only, and this sourco of snpply is proving aiiite inadequate to cope with the demand. "One hundred and four arrivals from Great Britain were assisted by the local office last month. Employment has been found during tho period foi- 202 men, 83 married and 119 single, having 267 dependants. Of this number, 128 Mro sent to private omployihont and 74 to Govern* ment works, comprising bricklayers, engineers, farm hands, hotel, hands, painters, 'and labourers, of whom 61 hailed from tho North Island, 18 the South Island, 10 from the Commonwealth, lot from Great Britain, and C from other places."