LABOR REPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1916, Page 5

LABOR REPORT.

FOR PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 29. The condition of trade and labor'has been quite normal during the month. Retail traders report having done steady and satisfactory business, though not so brisk as in December and January. The building trade shows a falling-off, but tlere are one or two big jobs starting, so that there should be no lack of employment for this class of worker for some time to come. The iron trade in all branches remains quiet, and there is likely to be a real difficulty here in getting raw material, such as pig-iron. Harvesting operations are now well in hand, and farmers have got over the shortage of labor difficulty, and express satisfaction with the result. Up to the present there is no difficulty with unskilled labor, but the number out of work is increasing and there is little demand for this class of worker. Building trades: Bricklaying, fair; carpentry and joinery, busy; painting, busy; plastering, quiet; plumbing and gaeiitting, busy; stonemasonry, quiet. Wood-working trades: Boxmaking, fair; cabinetmaking and upholstering, statisfactory; coopering, busy; sash and door factories, fair; sawmilling, woodturning, etc., quiet. Engineering trades: Boilermaklng and brass- and copper-smithing, fair; electrical engineering, busy; fitting and turning, fair; iron and brass moulding, quiet. Leather trades: Bootmaking, factories busy, repair shops busy; saddlery and harness-making, fair. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery, busy; shirtinaking, busy; tailoring (order), fair. Retail trades: Clothing, boots and drapery, normal; groceries, satisfactory. Printing trades: Bookbinding, fair; printing, busy. Meat-freezing, etc: Tanning, currying and fellmongery, fair; slaughtering, freezing, and preserving, busy. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithlng, busy; coach, carriage, and tramcar building, fair. Cycle and motor trades: Busy. Agricultural operations: Fanning, dairying, etc., busy. Miscellaneous: Aerated water manufacturing, busy; busy; bakers and pastrycooks, busy; brickmaking,, quiet; cement pipe making, fair; petroleum oilboring and refining, quiet. Unskilled labor: All unskilled building trade bauds are fully employed, and there is little difficulty in placing good workmen in this class of employment. There is, however, no demand for the ordinary genpral laborer. The number of callers seeking employment has increased since last mouth.