The Workers of Canterbury.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 224, 3 July 1902, Page 3

The Workers of Canterbury.

The latest Gazette contains a table showing the occupations of the people of this province. For convenience in tabulating the occupations are arranged in twenty seven orders, which, in turn, are giouped under the headings Professional,” *• Domestic," “ Commercial,” and so forth. That this is largely a farming community is evident from the returns. There are in Canterbury, out of a population of lid,ooo, neatly 20,000 persons* ‘directly engaged in the cultivation of land, in breeding and rearing animals, or in obtaining raw products from natural sources.” Tins is by far the largest cltss in the population, if we except those persons, chiefly children, who are dependent upon natural guardians. iNo other order reaches a total of 7000, tiio next largest being 6792, in the domestic class, ■* persons engaged in the supply of board and lodging and in rendoiing personal service for which remuneration is usually paid.” In this latter class, needless to say, the great majority of the workers are females. Another class in which women predominate is that relating to the manufacture of textile fabrics and clothing, wherein they number 3581 out of a total of 5412, Again, in the professional class, 11 persons ministering to religion, charity, health, education, art, and science,” the women outnumber the men by 1782 to 1634. The mercantile section of the population, dealing with the custody of money or property, totals 1042, of whom only 122 are women,.and there are 1600 persons engaged as general dealers or in mercantile pursuit? not elsewhere classed. Over 3000 people in the province are engaged 11 in the transport of passengers or goods, or in effecting communications,” and in the industrial section some 4000 earn a livelihood in the construction or repair of buildings, roads, railways, and so forth. Th reo men and one woman are described' as •* speculators on chance events.”