ALONG THE LINE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 September 1910, Page 3

ALONG THE LINE.

, Labour, conditions in HOR 0 WHEN UA AND MAN:AWATU COUNTIES. Tho latest issue of The Labour Journal gives tho following summary of labour conditions in Palmerston -Northi arid Otaki:— PALMERSTON NORTH. Business generally has been vary fair for the season of the year, considering the wet and cold weather experienced during the month. Tlie s.upply of labour ha.s about met tho dieina.iid in ,1.11 trades. A good tinsmith litis been wanted for sttmie weeks past. Tn the building trades work is very plentiful generally, with several buildings either going up or in preparation for erection. Unskilled labour, as usual, has been slack. Building trades: Carpentry and joinery—Tradesmen have been kept verv busy, and there are still signs improvement. Painting vary fair. Plumbing and gasfitting fair. _ Stonema.sonry—Business is improving. Woodworking trades: Box-making slack. Cabinetmaking and upholstering—Trade very good. Coopering slack, as is usual at this time of year. Sash and door factories normal. Sawmilling fair.. Engineoimng trades: All h amis die <?mployed, and all departments (ire working full time. . Leather trades: Bootmaking (facttorics) satisfactory. Boiotnyiking (repair shops)— Business is n;>w beginning to improve a little. Saddlery and harnessmaking verv fair. Clobhi ng trades: Dressmaking and millinery are Keeping up to the average, but very little i >rtime is being worked. Tailoring (order) quiet; no signs of improv. .iient. Rotail trades: Clothing, boo'.;, drapery, and groceries tory, considering the time ol u Printing trades: Bookbinding aiu. 1 printing fairly bu.sv; a little overtime is being worked in some factories. Meat freezing, etc., trades: Tlie works will resume operations about liext month. Coaclibuildiug trades: Blrieksmithing fair. Coach l , c.lrrian'e; and tram-car buildinig slack, with iio signs of immediate improvement. ' Cycle and motor trades slack just now, hut there are signs of a change for the better. Agricultural operations: Farniindairyinig, etc., fair. Unskilled labour: Thero is no work of this nature offering at oresent. 1 OTAKI. During the past month business has been a.s good as could be expected for this season of the year. Some of the .shopkeepers complain of the shortage of ready money. No doubt this is on account of the winter sales now being in voguo in most of the branches of trade. In some ca.scs thero is a shortage of feed for stock; consequently the I stock are in rather a backward con- ' dition for this time of the year, and there is not such a good outlook for the dairy-farmers as there was this month last year. Thoirc is no demand for outside labour. Two men applied for work during the montln, but could not be placed. One or two bushfelling contracts have 'been let during the month, but the local hands can meet the demand.

Building trades: Bricklaying—A flight improvement on previous month has been shown. Carpentry and joinery fa inly brisk; looal hands fully employed. Painting fairly good. Plumbing and gasfitting fair.

Woodworking trades : Cabinetmaking and upholstering—Only a fair trade doing._ Sawmilling fairly brisk, all mills working full time. '

Leather trades: Bootmaking (repair shops)— Good business rfliling at present. Saddlery and harnessma king fairly good. Clothing trades: Dressmaking anil millinery fair. Tailoring (order) fairly good.

Retail trades: Clothing very good; n.hout on a par with previous month. Boots fairly good. 'Drapery good. Groceries fair.

Printing fair. Meet freezing, etc.: Butchers report a good inionth's business.

Coacbbuilding trades : Blacksmithing very good. Coach and carriage building—There lias been a slight improvement on last month's trade.

Cycle and motor trades: Only a fa i r business is being done. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.—The milking season is being commenced: there will be a good; deal more done this season compared with previous years. Several farmers are commencing tf> milk large herds, nnd some of the mare installing milking machines. Stock generally do not look well, as it is reported there is a. shortage of feed.

Miscellaneous: Bakers report a fairly brisk trade. Flax-millinpis ratheir dull, while the basket factories are still working full time. Brick-making is also fairly brisk. Tmskilled labour: There have been only two applicants for work during fclic month. Phov woro nnlv .pn«ssmcr through the_ town, and did not call a second- time. Local hands ran fill the demand for this class of labour.