LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3218, 16 June 1909, Page 7

LABOUR DEPARTMENT.

The following concerning: Masterton Greytown and Featherston ia contained in the Journal of the Department of Labour for June : MASTERTON. There has been scarcely any alteration in the genera! state of trade during the mosth just ended, and business people do not seem to anticipate much improvement during the winter months. The building; trades still remain slack, and a number of tradesmen who were connected therewith experience great difficulty in obtaining employment. This trade being slack creates quitj a depression, affecting, as it does, a number of industries, including sawmilling, sash and door factories, and brickworks, all of which are very slack at present. Furniture trade still continues quiet. Coachbuilding and general blacksmithing are reported to be fair. Building trades: Bricklaying very quiet, not much brick work being done. Carpentry and joinery still slack as regards town-work ; better prospects and more work reported I from the country. Painting quiet; • v not much work being done, and employers say they do not know of much work coming out. Plumbing and gasfitting slack; some tradesmen are unemployed. Stonemasonry quiet. Woodworking trades: Boxmaking f fair; those engaged are fully employed. Cabinetmaking and upholstering still quiet; most of the firms engaged in this trade are working short time. Sash and door factories still slack. Sawmilling quiet. Woodturning, etc., fair. Engineering trades: Agriculturalimplement and repairing—A fair amount of trade reported, keeping those engaged fairly employed. Fitting and turning—All the hands engaged are kept employed regularly, but no extra hands are required. Iron and brass moulding slack. Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories) —Fair trade reported; hands kept steadily employed. Boot making (repair-shops)— Fair amount of work offering, keeping all in the line well employed. Saddlery and harnessmaking—Fair trade reported, but no inquiries for more tradesmen. Clothing trades: millinery—Very fair business being done throughout. Tailoring (factories and order) fair; no inquiry for tradesmen. Retail trades: Clothing—Several sales have taken place recently, and very good trade experienced. Boots show an improvement on last month. Drapery —Sales have bten held in this line, with good results—exceeding expectations. Groceries—Business remains about the same a alight improvement however being noticeable. Printing trades: Bcekbinding—No demand for additional hands. Printing fair, but no demand for increase of hands. Meat-freezing, etc.: Tanning, currying, and fellmongering, and slaughtering, freezing and preserving—Fair trade continues. sg&s Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing—All in the trade seems fully engaged. Coach, carriage, and tram-car building—A fair amount of trade being done, keeping all in this line employed. Cycle and motor traSes—Men fully employed in repairs. Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc.—A very fine season has greatly assisted this industry, which, although late, is still going satisfactory. Unskilled labour: During the month a considerable number of unskilled labourers from all parts have called at this office in search of employment, the majority of those who cannot find work in the towns at once travel inio the country, and from the number of rren at present walking through this district there neede be no dearth of labourers for any employment that may offer. Eleven men were assisted to Government and private employment during the month. GREYTOWN. Building trades sialic. Bootmaking (repair shops) and sadulery and harnessmaking fairly busy. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery fairly busy. Tailoring (order) fairly busy. Retail trades fairly good. Printing fairly good. Blacksmithing fairly good, Cycle and motor trade." fairly busy. Agricultural operations:—Farming, daryirig, etc.—Farmers are busy ploughing and preparing ground for next season's wops. The dairying season, which has been a very successful one, is about at an end, and cows are nearly dried off. The local cheese-i'actory is still working, but will be closed for the season very shortly. Unskilled labour: Local labour is feairly well employed. Men passing through looking for work are very numerous, and have no chance of obtaining employment in this district. FEATHERSTON. The past month has been a very good one, with splendid feed for stock. A number of stations are shortening hands, principally on account of bad prices for stock, etc. A number of swaggers have passed through here during the month, principally from Wellington, going in the direction of Martinborough and Masterton. Building trades: Carpentry and joinery—All local hands working full time. Painting—Local hands fully employed, j Bootmaking (repair shops) and I saddlery and harnessmaking: Local hands working full time. Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery fairy busy. I £ Blacksmithing—All local hands j fully employed. Cycle and motor trades: Sales slow. | Repairs good; all hands busily em-I ployed. pi Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc. —Farmers are now busy preparing for winter crops. Dairying very good for the time of the year. Miscellaneous: Cheese-factory and butter-factory are still working full time. Unskilled labour: A number of farm hands have been idle during the month, as some of the stations are reducing hands for the winter.