DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3130, 5 March 1909, Page 5

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

The Journal of the Department of Labour for March contains the following concerning Masterton, Greytown, T°.nui and Featherston Tenui.—Local carpenters have been fairly busy during the month repairing and erecting outbuildings, and several carpenters from outside the district are now erecting a dwellinghouse of fourteen rooms. Rett it trades (general) slack. Miscellaneous: General blacksmiths have beendoing a fairtrade. Unskilled labour: All local men have been fairly employed during the month at scrubcutting, fencing, harvesting and road-metalling. Several swaggeis passed through here. A few of them got employment in the district at scrub-cutting, and the others kept travelling on towards Hawke's Bay in search of suitable employment. All works going on in this district £re full-handed, and there is no demand for outsido labour. Masterton.—There is nothing' fresh to report for the month of January, and indications do not point to any immediate impro< ement in trades generally. Farmers report a splendid harvest —in facV many state it is the best experienced for several years past. The majority ot drapers are holding sales, but business is not up to expectations. Building trades; Bricklaying dt 11. Carpentry and joinery—Nothing, oi any moment doing. Painting h s slackened off. Plumbing and gasfitting—Business in this line is improving. Stonemasanry rather slack. Woodworking trades—Boxmaking medium not so good as last month. Cabinetmaking and upholsteri g shck. Sash and door factories veiy slack. Sawmilling—Very little doing. Woodturning, etc.—Very little doing. Engineering trades: Fitting and turning slack. Iron and brar-a moulding very slack. Leather trader: Bootmaking (repair shops) very good. Saddlery and harnessmaking- Fair business reported. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery fairly busy. Tailoring (order) fairly bus; at present. Retail trades: Clothing l moderate. Boots slack. Drapery moderate. Groceries fair.

Printing trades: Printing—Some printers are fairly busy, white others are slack. Meat-freezing, etc.: Ftlloungery very fair. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing fair. Coach and carriage building —Fairly good business reported, but not up to last year's standard. Cycle and motor trades: Sales only medium; repairs very goor*. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.: The hay has all been taken in, but there is a good deal of oats and wheat still to be harvested. Stiearnig is over. Turnip arid rape crops are looking very well, and cattle and sheep are in splendid condition. Dairying still continues brisk. Miscellaneous: Woolpress manu- ; facturing Medium business . reported. Unskilled labour: During the pe-iod under review two singlie men, and one married couple with three dependants, were placed in private employment by the Department. Grey town. —Building trades slack. Leather trades fairly busy. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery busy. Tailoring (order) busy. Retail trades (general), good. Printing trades good. Coachbuilding trades: Blaeksmithing good. Cycle and motor trades fairly busy. Agricultural opsrations Famine, dairying, etc. Farmers have had a very good season. The milk supply to the local cheesefactory has been much greater than in former years. Unskilled labour: Local labour is fully employed;, there are sufficient men to meet demands.

Featherston. —The past month has been a very good one from the farmer's point of view. The weather has been exceptionally wet for this time of year; but the warm rains have kept the grass forward, consequently fat sheep and cattle are plentiful, and large consignments have been sent away. The milk supply also is very large for this time of the year. Building trades: Bricklaying slack. Carpentry and joinery—All hands kept employed. Painting—Local hands working full time. Leather trades: Bootmaking (repair shops) busy. Sadcflery and harness-making working full time. Retail trades: Clothing, boots, drapery and groceries good. Coachbuilding trades:; Blacksmithing—All hands Kept employed. Cycle and motor trades very good. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.—Farmers are now busy cutting crops, very good yields are expected. The dairy farmers are doing very well. The milk returns are much larger this year than last, especially during this month. The cheese factory i s busy, and large shipments are' being exported. Unskilled labour: There have been a number of labourers passing through the district during the month looking for work. Local labourers a*e all well employed.