PROSPERITY WAVE

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 291, 8 December 1937, Page 20

PROSPERITY WAVE

WORK FOR GIRLS.

N.S.W. INDUSTRY IS ACTIVE.

SCKOOU& CANVASSED.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 2.

We have heard a great deal about "the return of prosperity" during the past three years, and some of this optimism has no doubt been worked up for purely political purposed. But there 'a something in the oil aphorism that "figures cannot lie," and those who still doubt whether "good times" have actually come again in Sydney may be advised to look into the summary of commercial and industrial statistics published this month by our State statistician.

In tho case of 42 factories the value of produce sold was greater by 17 per cent for last September than for September, 1936. Employment throughout the State totalled 830,000 for October, compared with 770,000 for October last year. Sales of goods wholesale were valued at £16,300,000 in September this year as against lees than £14,000,000 for September, 1936. The value of retail sales for this September was nearly 10 per cent greater than for September, 1936* The percentage of available wageearners unemployed in October this year was about 5 per cent, as against 10 per cent in October, 1936, and over 26 per cent in June, 1933.

These last figures are almost enough in themselves to justify the claim sometimes put forward on behalf of the Stevens' Government, that it has at least guided and directed the recovery of the State from the depths of industrial depression to comparative affluence and prosperity.

One of the most striking features of the present industrial situation is the keen demand from the factories for young people to take up various forms of mechanical industry. Our manufacturers are constantly writing to the newspapers complaining of the serious shortage of juvenile labour, and more particularly of girls ready to take up industrial employment.

The "Daily Telegraph" stated this week that in their efforts to secure an adequate supply of female labour "many manufacturers are canvassing girls' schools, seeking to engage girl pupils who have finished their school course." One manufacturer told the "Telegraph" that girls from 14 to 16 years need have no fear of unemployment now if ihey are prepared ot take up well-paid factory work —in fact, he said, they are more likely to be killed in the rush for their services than to remain out of a job.

He had just visited a girls' school and was told by the headmistress that he was tho third' employer who had called that morning on the same errand. He had made a systematic tour of all the schools in the district, and he was assured that they all had received visits from many manufacturers and employers with the same object in view.

Of course, it may be objected that this demand for the services of girls means that boys and young men are being kept out of employment or that their wages are being cut down. But though this may in some cases unfortunately true, this active inquiry for girl employees at least testifies to the renewed industrial activity which pervades the State and the return of prosperity to our secondary producers.