UNEMPLOYMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT.

QUEST FOE WORK IN THE CITY. _Unabsorbed labour—unabsorhad unskilled to bo in evidence in Wellington at present. M;\ny of these applicants for employment aro strong young men, who would be very easy to place if any work was going on, w-hilo n number of married mon aro already (almost beforo the winter slftck season has commenced) beginning to feel the shoe pinch. As usually , happens when work for men is short, the number of married women seeking casual employment at washing and charing has . increased' to a marked extent, dnd women ■ for this work can be much more easily engaged than formerly. Out-of-work men drift _to the : Waterfront incumbers in Wellington, and the competition for anything that is offering there is fairly keen at present. The number of men on the wharves is 111 fact so large that few of them aro gettifig regular employment, and the average rate of wages is low.

In the city and suburbs there is' absolutely no work for navvies. Fifty men ■were put off in a batch by tho Corporation when the Bell Eoad Reservoir, above Wallace Street, was completed lately. A little drainage . work is being done ~ in Wadestown, Miramar, and at a.few spots in tho city, but the gangs aro small. The secretary of the General Labourers* Union (Mr. M. J. Peardon) stated yesterday that lie would have no difficulty in finding 50 men at a day's notice if they wore required.

The supply of builders' labourers is also very plentiful, and thirty - Men could easily be found, at-a few hours' notice. Little building is being done in the city. Bricklayers, oarpentors, and stonemasons are more happily .placed, for they havo either left Wellington, permanently, - or havo found work in thoj country. Nothing is in sight to rive these' unemployed meii work except too prospect of' tho Parliament Buildings contract being let beforo the winter seta in."

The situation here will be the more difficult to handle by reason of tlio fact that there is very , little labourers'/work. foing in thp country. ;Local bodies'have een finding money difficult to obtain, it is suggested, and they are .reducing the amount of'their %orks. There are fewer iailway works in progress > throughout the island, also; and they hard hitherto afforded an easy outlet'for the surplus labour of the city. _ Up till comparatively recently the work in the Parliament House I grounds absorbed a lot of tho surplus labour, and the busy season on. ■ tho . wharves employed many extra men, but now these men are either entirely without, work or are getting work only inter- ! nlittontly. ' "