IMMIGRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 195, 7 August 1908, Page 4

IMMIGRATION.

NEW ZEALAND LABOR MARKET. LETTER TO ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS. WARNING ft¥ THE CAXTEKBURi.' TRADES COUNCIL. Cliristehurch, Wednesday. The following is the letter addressed to a.number of newspapers in great iVituin by the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council warning intending 'emigrants that New Zealand can absorb only a limited number of workers;— i Sir,—The desire to, if possible, prevent a reptition of tiie disappointment and misery which has iallen oil hundreds of our lir'itish brethren who, misguided by alluring advertisements, emigrated to Canada, is one of the principal reasons for the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council, New Zealand, empowering the undersigned to forward for the instruction of our fellow-workers in the Home a true account of the condition of the labor market in Canterbury New -Zealand. Further, it is considered necessary to do so owing to the fact that various employers, looking appaiently with envious eyes on the crowded labor market of Canada, and realising that a glutted market is a cheap mavkct, arc making an organised movement ill the direction of having the stream of I labor, directed to the shores of New Zealand. In making this statement we desire to acknowledge that at stated periods dining each year a few industries employ all the workers procurable, but these periods only last for an averI age term of six weeks, and are ehielly ! confined to the girls' departments of the

bootm'aking ami clothing iiidusti'Jei but during tlio rest of tin' year the -.villi, books of those in the clothing industrie in particular show workers receiving e.s tended holidays and being worked thre; quarter time and less. Regarding agr: cultural laborers, tlie position is won. owing' to the almost universal use n agrieultural nuiehinery and the aeeumu lation of small farms, which arc, as rule, wrought by members of the fai mer's family. Little agrieultural labou is, therefore, required other than dnrin harvesting oiierations, wlien the surpiu labour of the towns is drawn upon.. 'l'll weather in the early autumn is usual', dry, so that harvesting operations ar quickly over, and the man is lucky wli «ets a two-months' cheque, after wire you may either go back to the town 'and stand voiir chance ill the labou market there or shoulder your blanket anil tramp from district to district, pie.< ing up an odd job where you can. D.i: ing the last year (1907), according t evidence given by a fanner before, t'.i Conciliation Hoard of Canterbury (.1 present taking evidence on the agr: cultural labour question), 500 men visit ed his place, which is six miles frot the main road, last year. Another fa> mer stated that "900 had visited hit last vear. In the opinion of the fai mers'oO per cent. (700) of those wer employable and looking for it." Wild that is a small number compared withe unemployed in Britain, still it show there are siillicicnt men here lor Hi needs of the- country. In the cities.Hi■•'.' is always an abundance of men aiixin-i and willing to take "anything t'l.l turns ii])." In many instances Iriide; men who were receiving stead)' cmplm incut a few months ago are expericne iug the uucettilinly of nut being an, lon'i'r required, which is one of tli curses of our present wage system. 1 the saddlery trade, which was report!' in Home papers as busy, men are beni; dismissed. In the tanneries stalls liav liecn reduced, and those who are. re lained have been put nil short linn i.e., four days a week. As is gencraii; the case towards the'close of the sum mer the building trades are. fairly busy yet oven here there is no great dcnnui for artisans, and as for labourers thei' are many times more than enough. I) almost ail trades work is more into.'.' liiittent in New Zealand than at Home and as a set-back to a slight increase 1; wages there is on the necessaries of lif. and the household an increase of fron 50 per cent, to, in many instances, ovei 100 per cent, on prices paid by consumers at Home. In submitting this statement, which we have endeavoured lo make fair and impartial, we have no desire to depreciate our country, for which we believe there is a great future in store, nor do we desire to conserve this country to those who at pti-seni inhabit it,'as has been suggested by some of those who are opposed to us in the field of industrial warfare. Instoul, we desire lo accord a hearty welcome to everv' fellow worker from the Homeland who may come to Xew Zealand, whether he is impelled hither by the desire to better his material conditions or is simply satisfying Unit roving in elinatiou inherent ill so many of the British race. Our sole desire is to pi".-

vent, if possible, that misery to ii'l which would lie sure to follow a sudden rush of workers to a country which, owing to its limited urea compared with other British dominions, can only a'>snrh :i comparatively limited numb m l . Wo also desire to make it clear to our fellow-workers -at Homo that the sari:' keen struggle for existence goes on :n New Zealand as elsewhere, and Hint in our labour market there is always a surfeit of men willing to do anything. James Thorn (president), R. T. Bail-y (secretary). Canterbury Trades and Labour Council.

TIIF OT1IK1! SIDK VIKWSOF KMI'LOYKItS. '1 he opinion of employers dues not support the statements which .\Less-s. Thorn and Bailey l,ave sent to (lie J'.nghsh ]iaiiers regarding the lack of cmployment in Saw Zealand. The representative of a large building and contracting linn said that the publication of the letter in t.lreat Britain would- have a damaging eil'ect upon the industrial reputation of New Zealand. In his trade generally an average number of men had been kept going throughout the winter. Despite the tact that many tradesmen had flocked to the cil v from all parts of the Dominion and outside countries, very few builders' labourers were out of work. In the depth of winter, of course, many trades experienced considerable broken time. Thill occurred everywhere: but the work was there to be done, and in about a mouth there should be ample employment for all, despite the fact that many men from Home were seeking engagements here. For (he week July ISHi to i>th of 1)107 his linn paid away ,c.li r > ill wages, whereas during the same peri od this year .C 2114 lUs 2d was pai-l. lluilders' labourers were not present ill excessive numbers, and the bulk of those competent could find plenty to do.

Tiie secretary of tlu; Employers' Association said: "There are a number of trades which ale at i»ros(*nt Jiundkui|>ptr(l lor waul of skilled labour. Speaking generally, ilic employers iind .grunt diflicnlty in obtaining labour, and many, particularly those pillaged in industrial pursuits. arc handicapped by want of skilled labour. Jt is, in my opinion, the lile and soul of the Dominion to have a properly equipped immigration scheme. Employers do not so much complain of having to pay high wages to competent men. as they do at having to pay high wage** to those who ar»» incompetent. The labour unions, and particularly the agitator leaders, of course, like to heir {lie <-ry of shortness of employment, whether true or not." On the question of general farm labour, ,1 gentleman who lias had considerable experience in the matter sn'.d: "There is by no means a superabundance of labour available. At times the demand is quiet. But take the present time. There is a shortage of general farm hand*, good ploughmen, etc. During June, admittedly the worst month so far as work is concerned, some of the agencies were unable to fill orders for ploughmen and general farm hands nt. wages varying from LI to ;C1 10s per week. As many as twenty or thirty » men hav.e been wanted at times, but the agencies were unable to obtain the.m.. So far as this month has gone, thee ore order* for general farm bands awaiting filling."