DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3019, 16 October 1908, Page 5

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

The Journal of the Department of Labour for October contains the following concernnig Masterton, Tinui, Greytown and Featherston: — TINUI. Building trades —All local carpenters have been fully employed during the month. Retail trades show a great improvement on last month; a fair business has been doing in all branches. At present there is a good opening for a first-class bootmaker. Miscellaneous Blacksmithing trade has much improved, owing to wagoners having their vehicles repaired and horses shod for carting on the roads. Unskilled labour—All local men have been fully emloyed during the month at scrub-cutting, ploughing, dam-making, splitting fencing-posts, quarrying stones for road-metal, and at road-work. Several swaggers, who were sailors and new chums, passed through here during the month, but were not suitable for the work that is going on in this district, consequently they had to keep travelling on in search of employment. Several good men got employment at roadwork and at scrub-cutting. There are a few vacancies for good pick-and-shovel men at present, at 9s per day and 14s for food. MASTERTON. Business firms report that the volume of trade has not been up to the standard of that experienced during the corresponding period of last year. The building trades still continue quiet, but it is anticipated that in the near future matters will improve considerably. Moulding still continues busy. Fiax-milling and shearing operations will commence early in October. The tailoring trade is brisk, with tailors "and tailoresses in demand. building trades Bricklaying quiet. Carpentery and joinery slack. Painting somewhat slack. Plastering—A fair amoupt of work is doing. Plumbing and gasfitting good. Stonemasonary—Steady, solid trade doing; all hands fully employed. Woodworking trades —BDxmaking —A fair business is reported, witu prospects of improvement. Cabinetmaking and upholstering—Fairly » at present. All hands are working full time. Sash and door factories quiet. Sawmilling shows an improvement since last month. Engineering trade Fitting and

turning dull. Iron and brass moulding fairly busy. Leather trades —Bootmaking (repair shops) busy. Saddlery and harnessmaking good, with orders still on hand. Clothing tradesDressmakirg and millinery fair. Tailoring (order) very good; orders are still coming in. Retail trades quiet. Printing is fair, and all hands are working full time. Meat freezing, etc. Tanning, currying and fellmongery fair. Coachbuilding trades Blacksmithing normal. Coach, carriage, and tram-car building fairly busy at present; a'l hands working full time. Cycle and motor trades—fair; all hands are working full time, but sales are slack. Agricultural operations—Farming, dairying, ere., very good. There has been a larger area of grain sown this season than there was last year, and crops look extremely well. Lambs are well forward. Unskilled, labour.—-There is very little demand for this class of worker. During the month one married man with five dependants, and one single man were placed in jri,vate employment. GREYTOWN. . Building trades slack. Woodworking trades—Sash and door factories slack. Leather trade—Bootmaking (repair shops) fairly good. Saddlery and harnessmaking fairly good. Clothing trades—Dressmaking and millinery—Fairly busy. Tailoring (order) fairly busy. Retail trades good. Printing trades—Printing, good. Coachbuilding trades Blacksmithing and horse-shoeing good. Cycle and motor trades fairly busy. Agricultural operations—Farming, dairying, etc—The dairying, season has commenced, and promises to be bright. The spring So far has been good, and the local cheese-factory is receiving more milk daily than at corresponding time last year. Farmers generally are hopeful of a good season. Unskilled labour—Local labour is fairly well employe! There is no room" for outsiders at present. A number of swaggers passed through during the month. FEATHERSTON. Unksilled labour for the month has been very slack, and a number of men have been out of employment, but things are expected to be much better during the next month. Building trades—Bricklaying —A number of men are\ employed building new Jost-office, also on private work. Carpentery and joinery fairly good; a number of new houses are now in course of erection. Painting fairly good. Plumbing—Hands have been kept busy. Leather trades—Bootmaking (repair shops) fairly busy. Saddlery and harnessmaking—All hands working full time. Retail trades are very quiet. Coachbuilding trade Blacksmithing busy. Coach and carriage building fairly good. Cycle and motor trades very good. Argicultural operations: .dairying, etc—Dairying has been much better during the month, and warm rains have brought the grass forward. Farmers generally have been busy preparing for crops. Miscellaneous-'-The cheesemaking factory is fairly busy, and all hands have been kept employed. Unskilled laboui'—A number of men have been out of work during the month, but as shearing will commence soon many of these should find employment.