TRADE AND LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1917, Page 2

TRADE AND LABOR.

■ CONDITIONS- IN NEW PLYMOUTH. Satisfactory trade and labor conditions were reported by Mr. W. J. Wakelin, Inspector of Factories, to have existed in New Plymouth during January. With the completion of the Christmas orders trades had quietened down. The building trades had been busy, and in some branches there was still n shortage of labor. Woodworking, engineering and leather trades had continued to be busy, and the freezing work's in Fitzroy were in full swing.. There was a good demand for unskilled labor, and any person earnestly desiring employment could be placed. Men could be placed in ~tl|e painting, plumbing and gas-flt-ting, v coopering, cabinet-making, grocery and cycle ami motor trade?. Rontniaking had been busy, and clothing trades were in a satisfactory cpndition. The tailoring trade had naturally quietened down with the completion of the Christ-mas-orders, but the business done compared favorably with that of last year. The holding of sales had made the drapery business brisk. It was stated that- the spell of dry weather had had a detrimental effect on the dairying trade. January was usually considered the busiest month, but this season it reached the (lush in December. Work bad, in consequence, eased down considerably, and some factories had found it necessary to lessen the number of their hands. There had been a fair demand for farm laborers. The aerated water business had been particularly busy. With reference to unskilled labor, the inspector observed that there had not been many callers, and those who had called had not been very anxious to take the work offered, particularly in cases where men were required to go a few miles out of town. There was no difficulty in placing genuine seekers after employment