Labour Conditions.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 August 1912, Page 2

Labour Conditions.

T * IX PALMERSTON AND HOIIOWHENUA. The Labour Journal reports as fol- . lows for the.month of August:— PALMICRSTON NORTH. Tho building trades have been specially busy lately, and seem likely to continue so. At Foxton an epidemic of fires has practically cleared tho whole of the town, and artisans are likely to be very busy there presently erecting new buildings. A loan of £00,000 for "a tramway service has just been authorised, which must influence the labour-market before very long. Building trades: Bricklaying fair. Carpentry and joinery very good, and expected to continue so for some time to come: the Outlook is very promising indeed. Painting fairly bright; good prospects ahead. Plastering fair. Plumbing and gasfitting—Plenty of work on band, and more expected to offer. Stonemasonry satisfactory. During the month the Borough Council have issued twenty building permits of the value of £G,235. "Woodworking trades: Boxmaking slack ; expected to improve as spring advances. Cabinctniaking a,nd upholstering very bright, and futtiro prospects good. Coopering slack generally, as usual at this time of the year. Sash and door factories, sawmilling, wood turning, etc.— Trade is very pjood, and future prospects are. promising. Engineering trades: Agricultural implement making very good, ami outlook bright. Boilermaking, brass and copper-smithing, electrical engineering, fitting and turning, iron and brass moulding, and rangemnking fairly busy, and expected to continue so; all men employed full time. Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories) 'biiisy; Labour scarce; bench hands wanted. Bootmaking (repairshops) fair. Saddlery and harnessmarking quiet. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery busy; dressmakers wanted. Retail trades': Clothing, boots, drapery, and groceries fairly busy. Printing trades: Bookbinding and printing slack. Meat-freezing, etc., trades slack; operations commence about November. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing very fair for the time of the year. Coacli and carriage building very fair. Cycle and motor trades— Quiet season prevailing, but trade is fairly busy with repairs. Agricultural operations: Fanning quiet. Dairying is quiet just now, and there are several unemployed, but the season is expected to commence earlier than usual, and prospects are very bright. Miscellaneous: Flax-mills quiet; some mills are closed down for tho season, but several start running on the Ist August, and all are expected to be in full swing by the 20th August: the outlook is very bright- indeed from both employers' and employees' point of view. Unskilled lallour: The weather has been bad for outside work, and unskilled labour has suffered most. There have been more callers at this office looking for work during tho past month than lor several months past. Local supply has been largely in excess of the demand. OTAKI. little alteration has taken place in business generally sinco last report, though there is undoubtedly a quietness in trade. From a general point of view- future prospects are brighter. The unskilled trades generally aro fair, and tho various retail trades are doing a satisfactory business for this timo of the year. Building trades: Bricklaying shows no improvement since last month. Carpentry and joinery—Local hands are fully employed, and a number of new buildings are in course of erection. Painting is fairly brisk. Plumbing intid gasfitting show no improvement since last report. Woodworking trades: Cabinetmaking and upholstering—Tradt, continues to improve. Sash and door factories—Local hands working full .time. Sawmilling—All the mills are still working at high pressure, and trade is good. Engineering trades: Brass and copper-smithing—Fair business do- ! ing. Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories) rather dull at present. Bootmaking (repair shops) fair. Saddlery and harnessmaking—Fairly brisk trade doing. Clothing trades: Dressmaking nn<l millinery have improved since last month's report. Tailoring (order) only fair trade doing; on a par with previous month. Retail trades: Clothing—A slight improvement is reported since last month. Boots.—Fairly good trado doing. Drapery quiet; no improvement has been shown. Groceries fair. Printing trades: Printing fair. Meat-freezing, etc: Slaughtering • —Fa.irly good business has been maintained. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing—Good trade still continues. Coach and carriage lmi!ding-Locnl hands fully employed. Cycle and motor grades fairly good. ! Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc—The dairying season has practically ended, and there is little doing; the excessively wet weather experienced has greatly hindered farmers in their work. Miscellaneous: The brick-kilns, basket-factory, and flax-mills, are,. at present working full time. ' " Unskilled labour: There have been no applications for work; several swaggere have passed through the district during the mouth. Eofa! hands can more than fill the daman 3 for this olass of laftonl 1 . Mlll■mi——.:..