TRADE AND LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2585, 6 October 1915, Page 9

TRADE AND LABOUR

GENERALLY GOOD

REPORT ON CITY CONDITIONS

Tho Labour Department reports as follows respecting Wellington City during the month of September:—

The general conditions of trade and labour for the past month have been satis- | factory. The building trades are still in a flourishing condition, and consequently there is very little unemployment in connection with these trades. The engineering industry in all branches is busy, and ft demand exists for fitters. The textile trades are quite up to the usual standard, and in order to cope with the demands made a considerable amount of overtime has been worked in the clothing and shirt factories. , Retail traders generally express themselves satisfied with the volume of business transacted dnring the month. Building Trades - . Bricklaying busy. There has been a demand for skilled men. Carpentry and Joinery busy. Few, if any, tradesmen out of employment. Painting was quiet during the early part of the month, but there is now a demand for men. Plastering fair. Plumbing and gasfitting busy. No men reported out. of employment. Stonemasonry fair. Wood-working trades.—Boxmaking busy. With the opening of tlie dairying season trade has improved. Cabinetmaking and upholstering is a little quieter than the previous month. However, tliero has been no shortening <f hands. Coopering busy. Sash and door factories fairly busy. Woodturning fair. Engineering Trades.—Boilermaking busy. No men out of employment. Brass and copper smithing fair.. Electrical engineer-' ing fair. Eitting and turning busj-. There; are openings for skilled men. Iron and brass moulding fair. Leather Trades.—Bobtmaking (factories) • busy. All the factories have plenty of work in hand, and operatives will be kept fully.'employed for soi'ne. considerable time. Repair shops, busy. Saddlery and ' harness ■ making fairly busy. There has been a falling off in orders, and trade has declined somewhat.

Clothing: Trades.—Dressmaking and millinery fairly busy, although there ; has been no rush of orders; all factories have sufficient work to keep hands fully employed. Shirtmakin" very busy. Eactories are working at high pressure to supply Defence orders. Tailoring (factories) busy. There has been a considerable amoumt of overtime worked. 'Order, fairly, busy. Woollen milling very busy in all departments.l . •

lietail Trades.—Clothing, fair sales re-, ported. Boots, quieter than the preceding nionth. Drapery, weather diu--ing the middle of the month gave.a fillip' to sales, and the month's turnover is satisfactory. Groceries, normal business transacted. , ■

. Printing Trades.—Bookbinding fairly busy. Printing busy. Meat Freezing, etc.—Tanning, currying, nnd fellmongery quiet. Slaughtering,' freezing, and preserving quiet. - ■ Coaclibuilding Trades.—fairly' busy.. Cycle imd Motor Trades— Sales have been quiet., Mechanics are busy and a demand exists for skilled men.

Miscellaneous.—Biscuit and confectionery manufacturing busy. A shortage of female labour exists. Unskilled Labour.—During the period under 313 men-were assisted. These .comprised 154 .married.men and 189: single men. with *447 dependents., Ninety-five men were sent Ho private-employment and 248 to Government works. One hundred and three came from the North Islarid, G5 from the South Island, 31 from, the Commonwealth, 133 from 'Great Britain, and 11 from other places.'- In. addition, 7 wives and 5 children were-assisted to join their relatives; a. numbc- of men have registered their names for the harvesting, as have also others for stealing.'