TRADE & LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2377, 5 February 1915, Page 3

TRADE & LABOUR

POSITION SOUND FEW PEOPLE OUT OF WORK Reporting on trade and labour conditions in Wellington during January, the Labour Department states that tie position is, on the whole, satisfactory. The report adds; ''liuoine&s has resumed normal conditions after the rush which usually preceeds the Christmas holidays. Building trades are steady, and while a few tradesmen are out of employment the conditions compare very favourably with the corresponding periods of "former Year.;. The engineering trades are gtod, and onij a few skilled artisans are, at the present time, out of employment. The textile trades are v»ry busy. The order tailoring has fallen off slightly, but the ltavo constituted a n cord in the amount of overtime worked. This is due princ.pa'iy to the o.rd' rs received from the milirary auth Jiities. 'I he shirt-making fluxuries, <ilso, are working at high P'.essure. The retail traders repo.t biumess done during the early porfcinn of the period as normal. Opportunity was taken -liter the Christmas rush to prq are for the animl sales. I bote ftie iiow proceeding ai.d the turnover is considered very satisfactory.'Following is a summary of the conditions of the various businesses, trades, etc:— ■ Bricklaying: Fair. A few tradesmen are out of employment. Carpentry and joinery: Few (if any) tradesmen are out of work. With the completion of the work no,w in hand a quieter period is probable.' Painting: Busy.. A large number of men has been employed on work of a temporary nature, which will bo oempleted within a few days. I Plastering.: Fair. Plumbing and gasfitting: Trade continues fair, and full tirao in being worked. Stonemasonry: Fair. Boxmaking: Busy. Butter boxes are in demand. Cabilieimaking and upholstering: Trade has fallen away slightly since Christmas; tbe necessity has not arisen, however, to shorten hands. Coopering: Busy. Owing to the demand for tallow casks trade is exceedingly good. Sash and door factories: Fair. Sawmilling and wood-turning: Fair. Agricultural implement-making: Busy. Boilermaking: Busy; do men reported idle. . > Brass and coppersmithing: Fair. Fitting and turning: Busy. A demand has existed for tradesmen during the month. ■ . Iron and brass-moulding: Busy. Bootmaking: Good time has been worked throughout the period, and some factories have sufficient work in hand to keep going for some considerable time. Boot-repairing: Plenty of work. Saddlery and harness-making: Sufficient to keep regular hands fully occupied. Dressmaking and millinery: Fair. In most workrooms the assistants take the opportunity during this month to have their annual holidays. All those available for work have been kept busily employed. Shirt-making: Busy. A number of factories are experiencing a rush to fulfil military orders. Factory tailoring: Very busy. A large amount of overtime is being worked in all the factories. Order tailoring: Fair. A slight falling off in trade has taken place, which is usual during this period. Woollen-milling: Busy. Good time has been worked. Clothing: Business is reported as quite up to the usual standard. Boot retailing: A little quiet. , Drapery: The turnover at the sales compares very favourably with former yeais. Grocery: Normal. Bookbinding and printing: Trade has slackened off during the period, and a few men are at the present time idle. Tanning, etc.: Busy. Hnnds are working full time. . Slaughtering, etc.: Very busy. Black-smithing: Fair. Work has been confined principally to repairs. • Carriage and tram-building: Fair. Thore is sufficient work on hand to keep regular employees fully occupied. Cycle and motor trades: Good in sales and repans. The confectionory and biscuit factories have been busy, and overtime has been worked. The hat and cap making trade is good, and no tradesmen are reported to be idle. Unskilled labour: During the period tindor review, the number of callers shows a decrease in comparison with the previous month. A small percentage of those who registered are unfit for heavy work. As harvesting time in the South Island is approaching a large number of the unemployed will no doubt be absorbed. The number of men assisted was 207, of whom 51' were married, and ; 156 single. Five wives and seven children were assisted to join their relatives. Fifty-seven camc from the North Island, 34' from the South Island, 23 from Australia, 82 from Great Britain, and 11 from other countries.