CONDITION OF MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10046, 21 July 1910, Page 7

CONDITION OF MASTERTON.

REPORT BY THE LABOUR DE PARTMENT. BUILDING TRADE STILL IMPROVING.

Ths Journal of the Department of Labour just issued for July reports as follows on the conditions of trade and employment in Masterton: During the past month s rnie trades, notably the building trade, have con tinued to show an improvement,while others have remained much the same as before—i.e., rather quiet. June is generally looked upon in this district as one of the quietiest months of the year. A majority of the factories in connection with butter and cheese making, wool cleaning and scouring, and fellmongcry have closer*, consequently a consideranle number of workers connected with these industries are unemployed. In brick, pipe, and drain tile making more hands are employed than at the

corresponding period of last year. Considerable bushfelling and scrubcutting operations are being carried on this winter, and there aie opening for more than the usual number of lushworkers. There is, unfortunately, very little navvy work offering at the present time, making it most difficult to place unskilled labourers and navvies. Building traces- Bricklaying continues busy; no local bricklayers unernployet. Carpentry ard joinery—Trade continued good in comparison with that experienced during the lest two year*; very few tradesmen unemployed. Painting i fairly good; no tradesmen reported J to be idle. Plumbing and gasfitting I fair; no tradesmen reported unemployed; a demand for men during the month. Stone-masonry—All workmen fuily employed. Wood-working trade —Box-making fair. Cahinet-making and upholsteiiog still continues slack, tradesmen working half-time. Sash and door factor es—Trade improving, and most tradesmen fully employed. Sawmiilirg—Belter demand fbr timber, and workers obtaining steady time. Wood-turning, etc.—Fair amount.t.t work being ob tained. Engineering trades—Agri- j cultural implement making continues '■ somewhat quiet; no extn> tradesmen required. Fiting and turning fair; all tradesmen fully employtd. Leather trades—Bootmaking, factories, fair. Bootmaking, repair shopsAll tradesmen fully employed and busy. Saddlery and harness-making —Good trade and business reported, and all workmen busy. Clothing trades—Dressmaking and millinery btill remains quieter than usual, and sevtral hands unemployed. Tailoring, factories and order, very alack; several [workers in the trade only employed part time. Retail trades — Ulothing, boots, drapery, and gro ceries—Business reported to be maintaining a very fair level generally. Printing trade rather quiet; one or two hands reported out of employment. Meat-freezing, etc.— Tanning, currying, and fellmongering, slaughtering, freezing, and preserving slack. Coachbuilding trades—Blaekemitrring very fair. Coach, carriage, and tram-car building—Good trade and business rei ported generally. Cycle and motor trades rather busy; i\\ in the trade fully employed. Agricultural operations—Farming, dairying, etc., slack, most of the factories having closed down. Unskilled labourVery little work for unskilled labourers is offering at present. During the month twelve men were assisted to private employment.