LABOUR MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1966, 24 January 1914, Page 9

LABOUR MARKET.

v CONDITIONS IN DECEMBER, DEPARTMENT'S REVIEW. : fW eonditiohK '■ !''• .ycliingtoiV;-, duiitig..De<'cinber;>. .the • S f'? ® i;t riipii tVof.. Ija labu j-*'? ; ;S £;i.t e s; Si - - .Dmmgithe. thiul.vveek of the- period. ■ tho' sti'ikc of watersido work- : ' ei;s, ;'vhiclv liad-;lnsted for elovcnsweeks ; and .had affected nanyindustries';. and • :. callings,?;was'' terminated,and a. better-' inentiin 1 tradciconditions -lias resulted.' ; Althbuglnin'isome'of- the manufacturing- ;! industries "'business '.is below normal, -.thero is : 'a~-feeling that during the next ; niofit-lr'or. two .conditinns'..wili*somcwhat ; legaiii.;their, ..former, buoyanev.Excel-! ; lent j reports-)'of- Christmas' r>t-fado--f, ; aro' ■ «| V! - n, ..by ; retailers in almost every:'lino ■ of' business,' and many shopkeepers state- ■ that/their .turnover-far exceeded that ; of any' previous Christmas period. . Tho olid of tho industrial trouble, together with, a considerable change for the better in weather conditions, is said to have largely cdutributed- to the-:-, increased trade. Work on tho waterfront has been fairly brisk, and the arrival of several, largo'cargoes of coal from ovcrsea-s lias provided employment for a goodly number of men used to discharging operations;, in connection with this class- of cargo.

■ Building Trades.—Carpentry : snd joinery have been fairly quiet, but there aro some contracts coming out shortly which are expected to absorb any surfplus tradesmen, and towards the end. of tho coming month it is expected that trade will again have reached its normal level.. .About twenty union men are reported idle. Painting: During the early part, of the month all men were em-ployed;-the, condition of trade has, howover, been variable, and a.t present there are some twenty men idle; an improvement is looked for towards the. end of January, when people will I'O set-tied' down again after the. holiday season. Plumbing and gasfitting are quiet, but an increase in trade is e'xpeeted as there aro a number of building jobs going oh: seven union men are reported nut of employment. Plastering, and bricklaying have bec-ti timet, and there have been some men idle : prospects., however, are brighter for the coming month. Builders' labourers quiet; between twenty, and thirty union men are idle; employment- is expected to he belter during the coming month, as there-arc some contracts to be commenced.

■■ •. Woodworking Trades—ftoxmakinp lias been fair throughout the month. Cab!inetniiikin<; and imliGlsttriiiß: Trade troncinlly is reported to hnvo boon below the avernfte; iii oiif or two shops, hoff>vcr,; n fair month's business has been done; no men nro reported idle at present. ■ Sash and door factories and sawmilling: These trades have bt-on just fair, with a tendency to he quiet, iii most factories and yards; ail hands, however, have been fairly we'll employed, and trade is> expected to improve during the coining month.

: foicjinoo'ring .trades,.including fitting fill dtimiiiifi, iron- and brass moulding rangemnking. briiss:nnd copper-siiiith-intr, a c,d. pattern-making:, have remain-, ed quiet, and soire foundries are working with a reduced number of hands; in one or tivo shops the blacksmiths have been kept fairly bnsv. Electrical engineering has been fairly good, and nil hands are reported to liavo been fully omflloyed; there lias been 110 overtime during the ncriorl.

.Leather Trados.-*—nootmakiiifs (factor,ios).-: Trade generally may he said to liavo, been;.; fairly firm, hoveyer,' has not'worked .full time durum tho month, 011 account of n shortage of •material owinq to the strike nflrcetins tins transmission of supolips. liootmaking'fropair shoos): Trade has.been very good inmost shops; and the hands "have made good time. Saddlery mid hnrness•makinp:: Trade has remained fairly busy —nbont the same as previous month— and all hands are reported fully cranio ved.

* 'fVilthing . Trades. —Dressmaking and millinery workrooms were fairly brisk right up to Christmas, hut thorp was not wr.v email overtime worked. Tailoring (factories): Trade Tins been fairly active, but not nearlv so mucli so as usual at this time of year; towards Christmas week some overtime »m necessary to complete orders. Tailoring (stoops): Trado commenced to get. biisv about. the second week of the period, and fill hands made Rood time right up •to/Christmas; compared-with the same month.°ef previous years,.-however, trade •lias been below tho- average. At present: tliero are four men reported idle, but,mi improvement is expcctodtowafrls the end of Jiinuarv. A nniet time is usually cKpEricnccd during the first month- of the year. Woollen-milline•: Trade has been busy with forward orders,' arid all hands haws been fnlly employed ; no overtime lias, however, been liecossary. ' Retail trades, including <clothing t hoots, drapery, mercery, booksellers, and stationers, fancy goods dealers, and grocers: During the early ljart ot the period business was only fair, aim in so;ne instances very quiet. A roiwarkable improvement is said to have set in dnriii" the third week of <tl«s month, and ail excellent Christmas trade was done generally. Shopkeepers express themselves as well satisfied, and m most cases much better business was done than was anticipated. i , Printing Trades.— BooKbmding and printing have been fair, bat in ono or two factories a slight has hoen experienced; tho majority oi hands, nftvc been fully employed. .... Meat freezing and preserving factories have been .busy, with all men going full time; during the coming month it is oxpectcd-that. a very, brisk tune will bo Trades.-Blacksmithiiig and coach and carriage building: ihese trades are reported to have improved slightly since; tho previous month, aim may bo classed as fair; a few bands have been idle temporarily, but nearly all have been employed fuil time. Cycle and motor trades were not very busy earlv in tho month, as comparc-d •With' tho same period of previous years, but flu improvement - sot in as the holiday season approached. Unskilled LaboUr.---Tho number ot applications for -employment' during, tho period iust ended shows no appreciable decrease. 011 tho previous month. _ A similar number of men havo been assisted to'emplovroent' this month as w-ero assisted during tho corresponding period last year, the returns showing a slight increase 011 the numbers sent to private employment. There is still an ljnsatisfied demand for farm hands for dairy work. Tho numbers Sent to employment comprised miirrind men and ninety-foitr single men and widowers,-. with maty-sir. dependants. Of this number 118 proceeded to private employment and four to Government works' Fortv-six came from the North Hand, eight from the South Island, eight lion) the Commonwealth, l.iftythrec from . Great Britain, and seven from other parts.