FARE PAID.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 72, 27 March 1937, Page 6

FARE PAID.

WORKERS WANTED.

MOTOR TRADE BOOM.

INSUFFICIENT WORKERS.

ADVERTISING OVERSEAS.

"Spend a year in Now Zealand—fare paid one way." This is the caption in bold type of an advertisement in an Australian newspaper. The body of the advertisement contains the following announcement:—"New Zealand's leading motor body works require panel beaters, painters, repair men, coachsmiths. Young men who have ju>st completed their time preferred. Five-day, 40-hour week. Highest w'ages and good condition*. Principal will be iu Sydney shortly and will interview applicants—" No Surprise to Employers. The tact that such an advertisement is appearing in Australian newspapers comes as no surprise to employers in the motor trade in Auckland. Business has been exceptionally brisk in every department of the trade since the lifting of the depression and employers have great <1 illicitlty in keeping stall's up to requirements with trained men. The general opinion iu the trade in Auckland is that the men are required for large factories that have been established in Wellington, where bodies are being assembled.

Mr. L. Jull, of Cousins, Ltd., said there was a shortage of panel heaters in Auckland, while the assembly works in Wellington found that they were unable to obtain suiticient iuen in New Zealand to meet requirements. "The trade is exceedingly busy just now." lie said. "With the new labour legislation and shorter working hours additional men are required and in some departments they cannot be obtained. Cars are coming into New Zealand 'knocked down' and. of course, have to be assembled, which makes n great deal of additional work. Wellington has aosorbed all the labour available, and that is the reason for going to Australia for additional help. The position with my firm is that we have had to make use of trained men, but not trained for our own line of business. We have been putting 011 workers who have been brought up to the use of tools on account of the shortage of skilled men in our industry. Ever since the depression lifted owners of vehicles have been replacing old stock or renewing equipment and that is one of the reasons for the present shortage of labour." Boom in New Car Sales. The opinion was expressed by Mr. Philip Lewis, who has had many years' experience as a master panel beater and radiator expert, that there were not nearly enough men available for employment in the motor trade generally. Like other firms his business was working at maximum capacity. "There has been a great boom in new ear sales," he said, "while the numerous smash-upa that occur also keep ; shops busy." Opinions expressed by other members of the trade fwer? 611 similar linen. One large factory owner said that there was a great demand for commercial bodies for trucks of modern design and it took master craftsmen to do the work. Wellington he knew to be definitely short of hands in the assembly works, and he was doubtful whether there would lie• a great response from Australia owing to the business there beingjust as busy as in New Zealand. Bricklayers' Protest. The attention of the Auckland Bricklayers' Union bas been drawn to an i advertisement in an Australian newsI paper stating that 12 bricklayers are I required .for the New Zealand GovernI ment housing scheme.

"This union desires that a protest be made against the importation of tradesmen from other countries until the still acute unemployment problem has been solved," states Mr. J. F. Hawken, president of the Auckland Bricklayers' Union. "There is no shortage of Jirieklayers. A number' of our members are still unemployed or engaged 011 extremely casual work. The introduction of more tradesmen will not only accentuate our difficulty but will inevitably lead to the disappointment of new arrivals, who will soon l>e reduced to sustenance instead of being engaged on work at their trade."