INDUSTRY AND LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1916, Page 4

INDUSTRY AND LABOR.

SHOBTAGE OF MEN BEIXG FELT.

(By our Travelling Reporter)

Several of the towns in South Tar*naki are finding the shortage of labor pressing unduly hard on business people.

At one town I struck a man who up to recently was able to move round' with his coat on . "It's a poor job that cannot carry one boss," he remarked, "but now's the time when I have to get into it myself. Business must be kept up to standard, and without outside assistance it's solid going. Still, it is pleasing to know your men arc away doing their bit for the country, but getting back to hard toil after a spell comes pretty hard on a man getting on in years." And then for the next few minutes he made things busy. ''How are things in the painting trade?" I enquired of another business man. "Well, look at nre; talk about advertising for work, why, I haven't time to shave, and the missus cannot hire a girl to assist in the shop. Everything ha* jumped up in price, but work continues good. Skilled labor is hard to get, but we must brush along till tile war ends." "Yes, we get good prices," he went on, "but there is not a big margin for profit, and we don't expect it. - It's good going when you have to cut into the lunch hour, and can't find time to interview the razor," and, mounting a motor-cycle, he wm soon out of sight. 'Things look good in the leather line,", I remarked to a bootmaker ,as I noticed the floor littered with boot* in varum* conditions of repair. "Plenty of work, but only one pair of hands. Can't get men, so must roll into it myself. Work must be done, but, say, don't ma away, with the idea that it is only factories and farmers that are handicapped. The small business man feelp the shortage, as well as others. Leather jumps forward in price each month, tut I don't) mind that so much as the inability to meet tiie requirements of «ustomers." The difficulty applies to almost every town in Taranaki, and yet one can find ! without difficulty certain individuals in. larger centres who will not move round or beyond main streets. Besides ton' scripting the desirable soldier our MJP.'s. should bring in a law to conscript the loafer and make him do his little bit behind the counter or on the bread-carti till he is ready for the trenches.