SCARCITY OF IABOUR. .

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 36

SCARCITY OF IABOUR. .

AUCKLAND EMPLOYERS' EXPERI- ' ENCES. (F*ok On Own Cosxxspoitdeht.) AUCKLAND, January 16. A problem that is -confronting a large number of employers in Auckland, aa well as in other parts of *he Dominion, at the present time, is the scarcity -of labour "'n certain departments of inctastry. "The :number of factories in -fihe -city and snburbs 13 continually on the increase, but "the supply of boy and girl labour does .not appear "to be keeping pace -with the growth of fiie demand, the dearth of girls being most; marked. "Wanted more girls*" is tihe cry of many a perplexed factory manager, who, in spite of making ose of all available "•overtime/ is unable to keep orders sup- ' plied owing to" being short-handed, so far as his female staff — always an important branch of his organisation — is concerned. Advertisements inviting applications from girls willing to take' up' work in factories have been appearing in idie Herald Ifor .•some dajs past, : but in • many -cases the greatest -diffiouttjr re. 'being' experienced 'in filling the numerous vacancias, A representative,, in> the .course,, of some inquiries on the subject, gathered some surprising -information ' as .to iha aou&eness of the position in several large, factories^ ,iiK the city. ~ V "** TESTIMONY OF EMPLOYERS. ' I "Yes, we are waritinjr .more girls than we can get," 'said the head of one clothing factory. " Girls - can earn good wagos- in 'our trade, but they appear to be scarce not only in Auckland, but right -through New Zealand. ' We have advertised for a laavgo number of girls, but have, so far, .not been, able to obtain as many as we require." A few minutes', conversation ■ with the manager of another factory revealed a similar condition -«f tilings. "We are short-hand<ed in our 'factories, and have been tor time, the - scarcity being chiefly in .regard to girls. I helieve that we could place 200 addition*! hdbds tomorrow if we had them." In another case in which 40 or 50 girls have been wanted, the interviewer was informed that so -hue •Che advertisements had resulted in only three applications. At andSicr factory, which employs from 80 to 90 hands, tne same complaint wns made. The experience there is -a scarcity of both boys -and girls, the girls, as in ail other cases, being particularly scaroe. "We are continually advertising," said* the manager* "but we «re nearly, always short of our number of girls, and the position in regard to boys is nearly- as bad. We pay* /well, the <wages running from 15s to 355; snd even as high as £2 a week, 'whilst in some cases 'even as much as -£2 8s or £2 9e a week has been •earned." Generally speaking, it was stated the wages lia,ve increased, by about 25. £er cent." during the last 18 months. • A TARIFF SIDELIGHT. ' ' ' A manager of a boot factory that ha -was sharing the " general '-experience so for as female, labour -was" concerned.. "Although the - wages -are good," he said, "we .oa-nnos" get sufficient jutlb as -machinists. We have been granted increased protection by the new tariff, but what is the #ood of -that -if -we cannot get the -labour to.<Jeai wiifch an expansion of business?- -It is tecoming a question"! of -whether 'we- shall °be able to -take advantage -ttf it at all -unless we import labour." "On' infornMcfcion being sought from another firm a different Btory . was told. There had, it was.>Bto.ted, teen a little difficulty in obtaining girls, but, on the whole, we 'have managed fairly smll. In regard -to youths we havethad -no»diffioulty. We advertised for two the otiher day, and -received *bout a -dozen applications in reply." 3Cn all other oases, *iow^ ever, the deaifii j>f .girls, was lamented. One sorely-troubled manager spoke o£ another -difficulty— that of keeping some o£ the young people even when -they .accepted! employment. " " We- ore never snre, J> "he said, "-when they leav4» *t night wietiher they are going turn up again next morning or not." The girls, it was started, frequently absented themselves from work for days at a time wiEho'ut notice and without any particular reason being given. SOME PROBABLE CAUSES. "What is the cause <oF the scarcity of ■girls?" was the question put to several of those who 'were- interviewed. The replies seemed to indicate a consensus, of opinion in regard -io one or two asipects of the question. Firstly, there is not now such a great inclination on the part of girls to enter factories as formerly existed. Secondly, office occupations provide employment- for a much .larger number of young* girls than was the- case a. few sears ago. They are finding their :way into offices, ■ not only as shorthand .and typists, bufc also ac- clerks. It is- no uncommon experience nowadays to go into an offioe in Auckland and find two or" three, or even- more, desks in charge of girls\or young women. Amongst a large section of the rising female generation thefj*. eeems to. be a disposition! to regard factory work as less fashionable: than -office -employment. % An impression seems to "be gaining ground that faotory work. is infra dig, and the' old story -of the domestic-service problem is being in gome measure repeated. The interviewer was informed by one manager that the wages which can ba earned in factories are as gooc\ generally! speakinar. as those obtainable in offices, but that office work has more "tone, and consequently is more sought after. The increasing' prosperity of the Dominion /as also oited as bavinar a. ,pw>bable bearing on the position. Parents are now in a better 1 position to keep their girk at home than formerly, and "thuß tower of the female members of a household have to earn them own livelihood. THE PROPOSE© REMEDY. As to a. solution, of the apiroblem, -the <mlyi remedy that could be Buggeffted: was immigration. Th!» w now being Tesarted to a* a means of meeting the scarcity of domestics servants in certain parts of New Zealand, .and one of the factory inanageis inter-, viewed said be thought tha* a similar 1 remedy migfa* be adopted in vegaxd to meeting the wwato of faotorie*. He thoUghti that if people at Home -wet© acquainted with the condition of affairs a laspe numbetf of families would be glad to emigrate with' their ohildren to New Zealand. » "I dar|» say," he added; "that if «. thousand girts came out to this country to-morrow they would aU find work. I am .certain th&4 500 - oouldi be placed in Auckland nlajhfl away. There ore a large number of -girli working ek Home for a mere .pittance whtf would be glad to come io New Zealand anoi earn good -vmges if iihey were afforded th 4 annortunifct of dointt so."