LABOUR IN THE WAIRARAPA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8384, 19 March 1907, Page 7

LABOUR IN THE WAIRARAPA.

-The following notes are taken'from the March issue of the Journal of the Department of Labour on the condition of the labour market in Masterton, Grey town and Tinui : Tinui.- Unskilled labour: All local men and men from adjoining districts have been fully employed during the month at road work, grass-seed sowing, scrub-cutting, harvesting, repairing fences, and draining. Ssveral swaggars passed through here during the month. Most of them got employment at scrub- cutting and at grass-seed sowing. There is no demand for outside labour in this district at the present time. Masterton.— Trade generally has toan maintained at something above the average experienced last year, . and in the majority of cases very good business has neen done in both shops and factories. In the building trades a fairly brisk state of affairs is reported, and I have not heard of competent men being out of employment except for vei-y short periods, principally between jobs, as sometimes occurs in these trades. There is a very fair amount of building going on at present, and some contractors have sufficient work in hand to last well on into the, : winter. The engineering trades have been fairly busy during the month; all local tradesmen working full time. The trade has kept very busy -4ince the holiday season, much more overtime being worked than was the case last year. Dressmaking: About an average business has been •lone. Saddle and harness-making: No change to report, about the usual average being maintained. Coachbuilding : A good steady business has been done, and plenty of orders in .hand. A quantity of overtime has been worked./ Furniture trades: Fairly busy. Some factories have -been working overtime. Cementpipe making: Busy during the month. Plumbers and tinsmiths: Good steady business has been done. Flax-mills: Still continue busy. Retail trades: In some instances reported quiet; but, taken upon the whole, has been fairly . good, especially during the latter '■' part of the period, which included the | Show week. Unskilled labour: There have been a number of men looking ' for work, drawn hither by reports , that men were very scarce. Some have had difficulty in obtaining employment, }3ut in most cases where the men were able and willing to take any class of work offering, such as scrub-cutting, etc., and to walk a matter of thirty or forty miles to the job, they have obained work. It its noteworthy that in nine cases out of ten labourers looking for work do not possess the few shillings necessary for a coach" fare, although nearly all are single men. Greytown. —• Building trades: Fairly busy. Unskilled labour: No i unemployed local labour. There are v sufficient men in the district for present demand.