DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3189, 14 May 1909, Page 3

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR.

The Journal of the Department of Labour for May contains the following concerning. Tenui, Masterton, Greytown, and Featherston : TENUI. Building trades: Local carpenters have been fairly busy during the month repairing and erecting outbuildings, and several carpenters from outside the district are busy erecting a twenty-stall stable in Tenui for a coaching company, and also building dwellinghou3es on lea Estate. Retail trades (general) slack; a little improvement on last month. Miscellaneous: Blacksmithing trade has been rather slack during the month, and there is no hope of improvement during the winter months. Unskilled labour: All local men have been fairly well employed during the month at scrub-cutting, fencing, roadmaidng, sheep-work, chaffcutting, and at road-metalling. Several swaggers passed through here during the month; a few of them got employment at roadwork and the others' kept travelling on towards Akitio in work at scrubratting. All works going on in this district are now full-handed, and there is no demand for outside labour at the present time. MA3TERTON.

During the month trade generally cannot be said to have improved; and at present there is no appreciable indication of any improvement taking place. There is very little building going on, so that a number of tradesmen are compelled to find work outside their respective trades. Coachbuilding and blacksmithing are reported fair, just keeping those regularly employed steadily engaged. Clothing trades—tailors and dressmakers—are also fair. Furnituremaking very slack. Building trades: Bricklaying very slack. Carpentry and joinery—Very few new buildings are being erected. Painting very quiet; a few tradesmen are kept busy on repainting and renovating work. Plumbing and gasfitting very quiet; no hands required. Wood-working trades: Boxmaking fair, but no demand for extra men; cabinetmaking and upholstering very slack; some firms working half-time to keep hands going. Sash and door factories very quiet. Sawmilling— No improvement from last report. Wood-turning, etc., still slack. Engineering trades: Agriculturalimplement repairing—Affair amount of work is reported, keeping tradesmen fully engaged. Fitting and turning—Fair trade, but no extra hands are required. Iron-moulding very quiet. Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories) fairly busy. Bootmaking (repair shops)— All hands are well employed. ~ Saddlery and harness making—Trade reported very fair. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and Millinery—An improvement.is noticeable; all hands fully employed. Tailoring (factories)— Fair trade reported; an improvement apparent. Tailoring (order) fair. Retail trades: A decided improvement reported on last month. Printing trades: Bookbinding—No demand. Printing—No demand for additional hands.

Meat-freezing, etc.: Tanning, currying, and fellmongering, slaughtering, freezing and preserting— Very fair trade stiil continue?, but no extra demand for workers. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing rather good. Coachbuilding fairly busy; all hands seem to be fully employed. Cycle and motor trades: The local shops keep well engaged on general repair work, etc. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc., quietening down, being end of season. Unskilled labour: A larger number of unskilled labourers than usual have called in search of any class of employment, but as work generally is quiet, labourers are difficult to place. Eight men were assisted to work during the month. GREYTOWN. Building trades quiet. Bootmaking, etc., fairly busy. Clothing trades fairly busy. trades: CloJiing fairly good. Printing trades: Printing fairly good. Coachbuilding trades Blacksmithing good. Cycle and. motor trades fairly busy. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.—The country generally is looking well for this time of year. The dairying season, which has been a remarkably good one, is now drawing to a close. Unskilled labour: Local labour is fairly well employed; there is no room for outsiders. Men looking for work are fairly numerous on the roads.

FEATHERSTON. The past month has been a very good one, as far as business is concerned, and no local unskilled labour has been unemployed. Building trades: Carpentry and joinery—All local hands fully employed. Painting—All local hands fully employed Plumbing—Local hands fully employed. Leather trades: Boot making (repair shops)— All local hands fully employed. Saddlery and harnessmaking—All local hands fully employed. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery fairly busy. Retail trades (general) Good business ruling. Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing—All local hands fully employed. Cycle and motor trades: Repairs, all local hands fully employed. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.--The dairy supply has kept up well during the month, and the supply of milk has been good. Miscelkneous: The cheese-factory is still working full time. Unskilled labour: A number of men have been employed during the month on roads and drains, and there are no local unemployed.