DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 28, 18 September 1911, Page 2

DEPART ME NT OF LABOUR.

Ths twentieth iuiiki;,: irpeit of the D. partment of Lahom, as laid helm,. Tan in men t, nut only contains a most complete niscory of tlio inclc.stiiss of me Dominion im te.e year ended hist March, ll!!i, but is likewise einhellished with a nundier ol most interesting illustrations, xvi.idi raid considerahly to tile value of tire weak unde:- review, inr.smueo as Ni-o convey to the uninitiated, as pel - haps nciiiing el;:e coaki do so elVectiveiy, tile up-to-da te methods employed in cue industries of the !>oanuion. .Ini; instance, tile* several in; Cures rv|:i esen ting co-operacive railway works, are not only capital ill. ust rations oi the count rv wise re* ara-li walks are being prosecuted, hut ciny are likewise so clear and sharp that every implement in use, and every animal anti human being employed, arc so dearly cleaned that no mustake can ie made as to what Lacy represent, iho same may lie said of'the 'interior d tao Mosgi-. i A oolien factory, all tile complicated machinorv laing shown with such effect as to he al-

mnst , equal to a si got of the real Dung. Jn these illtisti atoms, again, human faces are most lifelike. Too Wellington Match factory and its machinery has a place in the work, as well as tlie Sedgwick hoys. Mr. donn Lomas, Secretary to* the Department ol Lahom in succession to •'l l • hk "i regear, in • übaiittmg his hri.T report, expresses pleasure that tlio promise of a bettor year as fains in mm ploy meat was concerned was more than iullilied. 'i fie signs of hotter times, lie says, were evident ''■‘ten the last report of the Department was puoiisned, and the writer of mo passed over without any marked pressure from callers for work. Skilled tradesmen, with the exception of those engaged in ironworking pursuits, were generally able to got full employment during the winter, and, as tno summer season approached, all classes of woiknion—skilled and unskilled—found ready employment, in fact, at times, there was a shortage of hands in the building trades, hut nn very serious inconvenience was caused to employers, although several large contracts wcio delayed somewhat in their completion owing to tiie dearth of labour. Plumpers and painters are said to have had a specially good year throuJigoufc the Dominion, and no difficulty was experienced in piac-' ing all applying at the Department’s offices. 'the total number of men assisted for the year was 7102, m ID) less than last year. OF this number 2181 were married and 4921 single men and widowers. Of the

total, 4251 ws-re sent or assisted to ptivato employment, and 2851 toCLovcniment woi ks. A pronounced shortage of agricultural workers was expel ienced during the early summer months, and no difficulty was experienced in placing u ask idl'd hands at this work, provided they wore willing and active. This employment was largely sought by new arrivals from-, overseas, who desired the training in order to lit them to take up farming on their own account after, the necessary experience had been gained. In factories, according to t-iie reports supplied by departments! officers, there lias been a continued dearth of labour, especially of gills and boys, and manufacturers have

represented over and over again / to tiro Department how greatly they hiivt? been handicapped through the want ol hands ol this description. It has boon suggestcd that the position could he met only hy bringing immigrants to Now Zealand, and, Mr. Looms says ;t is quite apparent to oven a casual observer that sufficient lahour is - not ■•available’ in -the Dominion. itself ; hut lie had grave doubts wnothor thoro was mudi eliance of getting factory hands in Great Britain to come to this laud. The official reports received hy the .Department from the Motherland, as regards the textile industries, hears one this statement—in tact, it is alleged that some of the more sld I led women workers receive wages in cess of these paid in .New Zealand, and when the difference in the cost at living; is taken into account, factory women have little inducement to Lave the Old Land, unless it he the hotter working conditions ruling in \ew Zealand as to hours and holidays.