TRADE IN THE CITY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2429, 7 April 1915, Page 8

TRADE IN THE CITY

EXCELLENT REPORTS

MAKING WAR MATERIALS

Following is the Labour Department's report for Wellington respecting the month of March:—

Despite the prognostications of many that, the war would imperil our industries, nothing of a very serious nature has yet eventuated, and the conditions of both trade and labour compare very favourably with the corresponding period of former years. It j.< true that many industries are fully occupied ill the manufacture of war materials and a large amount of. labour is thus absorbed, but apart from this there is a buoyancy in trade which augurs well for the coming winter. The engineering trade is still busy, and few, if any, skilled men in the various branches of this trade are idle. The building trades are a little quieter than the previous month, but the general condition can be considered fair for this period of the year. The textile trades are busy, and there is a shortage of labour in the clothing factories. Shopkeepers generally report trade as satisfactory. Drapers and clothiers have opened up their winter goods, and though the wintry weather has not yet appeared, fai-: sales have been transacted. Conditions of particular trades are reported thus: — Bricklaying.—Fairly busy. Carpentry and Joinery.—Fairly busy; a few men are at present idle, but work is shortly to be put in hand which will probably absorb those. Painting.—Good; tradesmen have been well employed throughout the period. Plastering.—Fair. Plumbing and Gasfitting.—Good. Stonemasonry.—Quiet. Owing to the difficulty in getting satisfactory granite very poor time has been worked by those employed oil the new Parliamentary Buildings. Wood-working Trades; — Boxmaking.—Fair; a little quieter than last month. Cabinetmaking and Upholstering.— Good. Coopering.—Busy. Sash and Door Factcries. —Fair; a few men are out of employment. . Wood-turning, etc. —Fair. Boilermakiug.—Busy. Brass and Coppei'smithing.—Normal. Electrical Engineering.—Busy. Fitting and' Turning.—Busy. Iron and Brass Moulding.—Busy. Eangemaking.—Fairly busy. Bootmaking (factories). —Busy; full time has been worked in all factories. Bootmaking (repair shops).—Busy. Saddlery and Harness Making.—Busy; all tradesmen have been fully employed. Dressmaking and Millii ery.—Trade has been quite np to the usual standard.

Shirtmaking.—Busy; a considerable amount of overtime has been worked.

Tailoring (factories). —Very busy; almost all factories have been working at high pressure throughout tho period. Tailoring (order).—Fair; orders havo fallen off a little during the month. Woollen-milling.—Busy; good time has been, worked by the employees. Clqtliiiig, Boots, and Drapery.—Business during the early part of the period was somewhat quiet: with the approach of the Easter holidays, however, there was an improvement in the amount of business transacted. Groceries.—Normal. Bookbinding—A little quieter than the previous month; one or two men idle. , Printing.—Fair. Tanning, Currying, and Fellmongery. —Busy, and hands have made good time during the month. Slaughtering, Freezing, and Preserving.—Work has slackened off during the month, and the end of the season is now almost in sight. Blacksmithing— Fair; work has been principally confined to repairs. Coach, Carriage, and Tramcar Building.—Fairly busy. Cycle and Motor Trades.—Fair; mechanics have been kept Well employed with repairs, but sales ha e been quieter.