The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1911. MEN WANTED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 12 October 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1911. MEN WANTED.

A Labor Commission that has been and is still sitting in Sydney to enquire into the question of the shortage of labor has found, as most commissions that are set up for a specific purpose find, that tho condition they suspected really exists. There is apparently no shortage of unskilled labor, which means that a large proportion of Australians are content to remain "hewers of wood and drawers of water" —a most comforting situation-, since the said hewer is the backbone of industrial life. The phase, however, that is most striking is that the supply of skilled workers is short, which means that While enterprises are developing and there is a distinct desire on the part of the holders of capital for greater output, the increase is restricted by lack of labor. Both Australia and New Zealand are prejudiced against the introduction of skilled labor, generally on the very feeble ground that the imported skilled mi\n will do some native skilled man out of a job. It is rarely believed that an influx of skilled workers creates the means of their maintenance, besides adding in many ways to the assets of the countries. It is curious, too, that a large proportion of skilled workers who come from old industrial countries to new ones do so not to enter into their particular crafts and callings, but to undertake entirely new duties-. The highly-trained mechanic is not likely to be induced to come to a new country unless the new country can offer him immediate and permanent work, and the colonial disliko to admitting "contract" labor imposes a severe handicap on craftsmen who desire a change of country. The fact also that the skilled I mechanical specialist, can demand better terms in old countries than he can get in new countries, where the best man is frequently paid the same rate as the worst, prevents him from throwing down a certainty to pick up an uncertainty. The 'New South Wales Commissioner?, gravely uttered the truism that the introduction of new skilled labor would result in a great increase in the general body of work and the attainment of a : stability in industry. While commissioners may agree on this point, the organised coteries which rule Australia with absolute selfishness will not in their present temper agree that Australia wants more skilled men. There is no doubt that great industries would be established in both Australia and New Zealand if enterprising firms were permitted not only to establish them, but to supply the labor from what source and what country (barring Asiatic countries) they liked. As it is, owing to many vexatious restrictions, British capital is particularly shy of colonial industries, the result being that many are infantile and farcical, without any reason except the one that restrictions prevent them being adequately manned. In the meantime, because there are so few inducements (and many handicaps) new countries which might prod-lice from their own raw materials tho larger proportion of their necessities. are content to remain huge importers. Land settlement, though slow, is increasing in both Australia and New Zealand., and- this, of course, means that the land is being made more capable of indirectly supporting manufacturing industries and skilled artisans. Canada. South Africa and the Argentine are reaching out for skilled labor with both hand.-. "lermany oilers rich inducements to RritMi artisans, and every country in Europe is being helped in great public undertaking* by the man-power of Britain. Tt is only these British colonies that are chary about attracting skilled Britishers. So some industries languish and others cannot be commenced, and royal commissions find out the things they knew before they sat.