TRADE & LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 18 July 1913, Page 11

TRADE & LABOUR.

REPORTS FOR JUNE. CONDITIONS FAIRLY GOOD. The following aro selections from the "Labour Journal" (published yesterday), giving particulars of the conditions of trado and labour in the different centres: WELLINGTON. . The conditions for this period of the year aro 'airly good, and although some of the trades aro rather ; slack they compare favourably with the same month in previous years. The bricklaying and carpentry and joinery trades have been very busy, as have also the printing and bookbinding trades. Boot-manufacturing has been very good, full time being worked. Meat—slaughtering, freezing, etc. —though fairly quiet is very much better than it was at this period last year. The paintin" trado is slack, but this condition usually prevails at this time of year. The retail trades in general may bo said to have done a fair average business during thb month. Building trades: Bricklaying busy. Carpentry and joinery busy. Painting slack. Plastering normal. Plumbing and ' gasfitting fair. Stonemasonry dull. Woodworking trades: Boxmaking very good. Cabinetmaking and upholstering normal. Coopering very good. Sash and door factories fairly good. Sawmilling fair. _ Wood-turning, etc., good. Engineering trades: Boilermaking normal. Brass- and copper-smithing, electrical engineering, fitting and turning, and iron and brass moulding slack. Rangemaking fair. Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories and repair-shops) busy. Saddlery and harness making fairly good. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery quieter than usual. Shirtmaking good. Tailoring (factories) quiet. Tailoring (ordor) quieter than usual for this time of year. Woollen-milling very good. Retail trades: Clothing—An average month's business lias been done. Boots— Fail? average month's experience. Drapery only fair. Groceries—Usual trade has been done. Printing trades: Bookbinding and printing very busy. Meat-freezing, etc.: Tanning, currying, and fellmongering good. Slaughtering, ■freezing, and preserving very good; much brisker than at samo period last year. Coachbuilding trades.—Blacksmithing fairly good. Coach, carriage, and tramcar building fairly quiet. Unskilled labour: As the winter advances the number of applications for work increases, and the position with Tegard to employment generally is not as satisfactory as was reported last month. Although more men were assisted to employment than was the case last month, the demand locally for men has not been good. This was especially the case during the latter part of the period. A considerable number of strangers arrived in the city from the country for Cho winter months, thus increasing the unemployed ranks. Tho dairying industry will probably be starting in a few weeks' time, and this should give some relief to men used to that kind of work. Already some applications have been received for dairyi. farm hands, and those employers requiring additional assistance on farms during tho coming season would be well advised to mako early application, as the prospccts of Retting suitable men are much better early in the season than, when it is well advanced. Dnring tho period work has been found for 134 men (42 married and 92 single) having 130 dependents, 102 proceeding to private employment and 32 to Government works. The occupations of those assisted wore as follow: —Bakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, oooks, engineers, farm hands, miners, and labourers, of whom 61 hailed from the North Island, 23 from the South Island, 1 from the Commonwealth, 40 from Great Britain, and 9 from other parts. PALMERSTON NORTH. Business generally has been very satisfactory during the past month, and the outlook is all that can be desired. Tho building trades are still busy. The weather conditions have been very fair for the season of the year, and outside workers have had little to complain of in this respect. Retail trades have been fairly busy. Building trades: Bricklaying and carpentry and joinery very busy. Painting, plastering, plumbing, and gasfitting busy. fatonemaSonry fair. Unskilled labour: Very little of this class of labour has been required, and it is pleasing to report there have been less applicants for work during the past month than during the previous period. Most of the unemployed inquiring at this office have been passing through the town en route to other places. MASTERTON. During the period just ended, general conditions with regard to trade and labour havo remained very quiet. There has been very little demand for additional labour in any of tho various trades, or in connection with unskilled workers. It is, however, generally acknowledged that this is one of tho quiet months of the year with regard to general employment. Owing to the principal industries either wholly or partly closing down, a considerable number of men has been discharged for the meantime, and require to find other avenues of work to keep them going until the beginning of the forthcoming season. There is a fair amount of scrub-cutting work in operation on the back stations, and this affords employment for quite a number of workers. There has not been much (Jemand for farm workers. General retail trade has maintained i quiet level. Agricultural operations: Farming, with respect to ploughing, etc., is now improving, and there is every prospect of a fair number of hands being required for this work. Scrub-cutting is now in full swing, and a number of men are employed on coast stations and in other parts of the district. Dairying is very slack, and practically all the butter and cheeso factories have closed down for the season. Flaxmilling work has been suspended; there is, however, every prospect of a busy period forthcoming; in the meantime 1 milling plants are being • improved. Unskilled labour: There has, been a considerable number of men calling at this office during the month in search of Unskilled employment, and unfortunately the request for this class of labourer has not been great. During the month fourteen single men and one married man with five dependents have been assisted from this offico to private employment. WANGANUI. The general state of trade and business is satisfactory. The building trade is still busy in all its branches, and local tradesmen are well employed. The engineering trades arc still a little below the standard, though the motor industry is busy. Tho textile trades aro also very steady, and though Juno is usually considered a slack month, there has been no necessity to shorten hands. The furniture trade is' also busy, and competent tradesmen are in demand. Unskilled work is still very scarce, and the closing down of the local freezing works for the season has added to the number of thoso seeking employment. On tho whole the conditions are good. Building trades: Bricklaying busy; several large brick buildings now being erected have employed all tho labour offering. Carpentry and joinery busy; few, if any, local men are out of employment. Painting busy; a demand for painters exists ill the country. Plastering busy; no men idle. Plumbing and gasfitting steady; all hands are fully employed; no men idle. NAPIER, Considering the period of the year, the state of trade for the month under review may be deemed fair. Tho building and allied trades are dull; engineering trado fair; plumbing and gasfitting brisk.; coopering quiet; sawmilling fair; leather, clothing, aiul retail trades good; coachbuilding trades good, with plenty of new work coming in, but ready money is scarce in business transactions; cycle trades good. The volume of busine.-s transacted is deemed satisfactory. The winter sales are being commenced by the business houses in the clothing trade, and shopkeepers are sanguine in tho anticipation of good business being done. The dry weather experienced lias enabled the unskilled worker in employment to get in full lime. Unfortunately, however, there is a number for whom no work is offering, and there is no immediate prospect of the labour market brightening in this irospect. Building trades: Bricklaying very dull. Carpentry and joinery slack. Pointing very alack. Pl.utering quiot, PlnnlVllna And. Pitf&ttiOT blUk.