LABOUR CONDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 895, 15 August 1910, Page 3

LABOUR CONDITIONS.

REPORT FOR MONTH. The Labour Department's. journal, issued on Saturday, has the following notes on labour conditions in the Dominion' during July:— ■WELLINGTON. Business generally lias quietened from that of tho previous month; but July is usually the slackest month ill many industrial callings, and comparison with the reports of last year shows that present conditions are, if anything, really brighter than what then obtained. Drapers and clothiers report trade quiet, and not much improvement is anticipated till spring goods arc' being shown. Boot-retail-ers' say' that returns for the mouth have come up to expectations, although several sales of outside stocks have tended to." cut prices. In tho provision. trades inquiries have elicited. u. general slackness. Butchers complain that'prices for stock are unusually high, and that,. although there has been an exodus of people from the city,' too many shops still exist, creating a competition so keen that there is little or lio margin for profit; there are ten butchers on tho. employmentbook of tho union. Grocers also complain of slackness of trade, and state that there is very little call for articles outside of actual nccessarios; five assistants are. idle. Bakers and -pastrycooks are not as busy as usual; eight pastrycooks and nine bakers are put of work. The favourable ' accounts, given hi last report by manufacturers are repeated this month'.; Boptmaking factories have been kept busy, and there is still an unsatisfied demand for hands, chiefly benclvhien and machinists. Clothing and woollen factories are working full . time.' engineering and'iron trades report an improvement. • With the exception of boxmaking and coopering, the woodworking trades havo been quiet. Owing to the season having ended, slaughtciing and freezing operations have now ceased. In the building trades thcru is a noticeable slackness, and a largp number of tradesmen are idle, particularly carpenters, • painters, and bricklayers. -The completion of the vice-regal residence has been a cause for this sharp drop in the state of trade, and, unfortunately, , -there is nothing in sight to warrant anticipations of an early, improvement..

Building v Trades.—Bricklaying' baa oased; several hands are unemployed, particularly chimney-builders. Carpentry—A' number of carpenters are idle, there being no loss than twentyeight on the employment-hook'of the union; the secretary of.the union' reports that he has received many, in— quiriesfrom country districts for carpenters, hut the local tradesmen are Hot willing to leave the town for country work;, this must indicate that no keen distress is felt at present. Painting—As with the carpenters, the completion of the Governor's residence has thrown a largo number of painters idle; there aro twenty men on the union's employment-book, and "this number will probably be increased in the near future. Plastering—Trado has been: very fair, and all;h.ands havo been fully employed; there is, however no demand for. any extra men. Plumbing arid gasfitting .still "keeps busy, and no tradesmen 'are- reported idle.. Stoneniasonry lias improved considerably since last month, and all capable workers have secured, employment. Builders' labourers—As only five names are on the, employmentbook, it is evident a fair : amount, of work has .offered; this is .likely '.to'coffitinue during the coming month.

Woodworking trades:'Cabineiniaking. ami upholstering liayeLbeeri very quiet indeed; employers state..that a.number of auction sales of furniture have had a marked effect.iori their trade.! There, are/f however, .two' names on"' the •- em-ployment-book. Boxmaking and coopering—ln these" 'two" industries '■ the < favourable- conditions previously .reported have been well- maintained/ >Sash and' door factories —There ias-been mo diminution of trade. Sawmilling—Business' ■is-only medjum, with a tendency, if anything, to slacken; . Wood-turning is steady, and trade is sufficient to keep hands in' full employment. ', Engineering .trades'.: There has been, a slight improvement, since last .report,: but trade • generally is still far from being as good as it might, :b0.,. Boilermaking—During, the .month ' trade brightened., considerably, and: is better than it has been for a considerable time. Brass and copper-smithing very good, the improvement mentioned in last report having been more than maintained. Electrical engineering >. is reported as fairly, satisfactory, ami employment is generally steady. Fitting and turning still slack, but slightly better than the previous month.' Iron and brass moulding also shows'improvement, and is now reported as being brisk. Rangemaking now fairly busy, and employment is fuller than has been the' case for some time. Leather trades:. Bootmaking—Trade is still brisk in factories, and employers state they "are handicapped by the want of extra workers, mainly benchmen, and-machinists. Repair-shops, are exceedingly . busy, the winter month.i being their best season. Saddlery and harnessmaking—Trade is reported good, and only one. name is on thp union's employn.ent-book. Clothing trades: Although warehouses have been stocktaking during ■'■ July, this has not had any appreciable effect in'clothing factories, which have been kept busy, some occupiers seeking more girls for the trade. Shirtmaking slackened during the month,, in some . instances full time not being worked. Order-tailoring in men's garments ,has been very quiet, this. being the slackest month in the .year, and a number, of operatives are idle;, recovery is not anticipated : till tho'end of August; ladies' tailoring has' kept 'fairly' busy throughout. Dressmaking and millinery—Up to the middle of the month dressmaking was good,-but has since' fallen awiy considerably; the industry has been affected by the trade now done in ready-made costumes; no improvement ' is expected till ;-ew season's uoeds cc-me forward on August 20. Millinery is also'quiet, and will remain so till spring goods, are wanted. Woollen-milling still busy, and full time is being worked. Printing trades: Bookbinding, 'stationery, and printing. trades have brightened considerably during the month. i As is .usual during the session of Parliament, the extra work entailed at the Government Printing Office insures full employment for compositors. _' Meat-freezing, etc.: Tanning, currying, and fellmongeriiig aro reported busy, but no demand exists for extra workers. In slaughtering, frei-zing, and preserving works the season for export has now closed, and work is confined to the wants of the. local market. Coachlmiluing: Trade is undoubtedly slack. .In the corresponding period of last year excellent business was. reported.l The increase . in tho number of, motor-cars ■ now running has been a factor.in the cav.:o of this change, necessary repairs, etc., being carried out in the motor-shops. Three conchworkers' names are on the employmentbook. . " Cycle and motor trades: The cycle trade is quiet, this being tho slack season. With the advent of the taxi-cabs work in connection'with motor-cars is abundant,' and full employment has offered to all assistants. Unskilled labour: During tho period just ended local and country work has been more plentiful than for months past. There is still a fairly largo number of single men calling, who have no dependants, and who apparently;

will not leave tho city. There has been a demand for ploughmen, hushfellers, coal-miners, pick-and-shovel men, and tunnel-workers. With -tho dairying season starting next month, tho unskilled-labour market looks brighter than has been tho case during the past twelve months. In fact, applications have already been received for a considerable number of farm hands, and the demand has been met by tho sending- of emigrants from overseas. Some trained farm hands have, arrived with .the last two vessels, and, although rather early in the season, there has been no difficulty in placing them. Some good positions 'for married couples in the Gisborne district havo also been satisfactorily filled. One hundred and ninety-one married and single men were sent to employment or otherwise assisted, having 322 dependants, and comprising carpenters, engineers, painters, miners, and labourers, AUCKLAND. i Conditions of trade and labour aro improving, and there aro not so many tradesmen and labourers out of workas was reported last month. Furthermore, business in retail lines has been brisker during this month than during' the previous one,'and there are no complaints of slackness of trade,- - • CHIUSTCHURCH; ; \ Trade and'labour' conditions during the past-month -have.been very good indeecl for the .time of year, and a further improvement is anticipated in several of the big industries: The agricultural' implement employees have been working short time, but there is a probability of full time'being worked shortly. Tho boot and■ shoe trade also'shows an improvement. ■ The building trade still keeps up, and in the carpentering and bricklaying branches nearly all the local mon are employed. Several largo eon"tracts'will be coming out shortly. In the clothing factories work . has been slacker than usuali: except: in the shirtmaking department.'•'' iOrder tailoring shows slight-improvement,- and expectations of a«busy- time before.tho Griuid National' have, hot* yet "been realised. The very • severe weather; has retarded proceedings at.the Otira Tunnel. The unskilled labour'market has been fairly buoyant. , . - DUNEDIN. . July is, from the standpoint ot employment, one x of,the worst months, and this yeai\ has ' not been any exception to tho rule, although, compared with the same month last ye.ar, there is a considerable improvement. There has been a number of. mm out of work, principally labourers, and some agitation has taken - place. In this' connec'tiori the various local authorities havo endeavoured to put work in hand to absorb the unemployed.-, Therc.are various works in prospect—viz., duplication of tho Port Chalmers .railway line, extensive work by the Drainage and Harbour Boards—and it is anticipated that during the next few weeks all- the local labour will be utilised. The retail trades 'have, with a few exceptions, experienced rather'a quiet time, and those who havo been dependent upon ordinary sales report that money is very tight. On the other hand, those holding winter sales and sales of assigned stock report a very good turnover.

OTHER CENTRES,^ At Napier trade and labour' conditions during the month, of July have on tho whole been good. The building trade lb busy and 'likely, to', remain so., ' ' .'■'''•' At Now Plymouth trado„and manu-' factoring havo remained' satisfactory, but the continued, wet ; weajher lias greatly interfered with outside workers. At W'anganui trade' during the month has been decidedly quiet,-'although some retailers report good ■ business. '-Wet weather has. interfered' with" some ibranehe's of the building trade,'hut tho incoming, month shoUld"Jl)tid eve'ryqiib fully '.employed. ~,'.. .... .. •■,.,,. ~"ii. At Palmcrstpn North,,with rer.afd'to. iworks in the,.factories .and.vtrade.vgen.-,: orally, no complaints ;baye'been 'heard.--,Several'new' buildings -are in coursel ,df orection, and. building may bo said'to' .have "been the.busiest trade during tho month. '' ".'.''; .'.';'..'... . ~; ' At Masterton during ibo period under review there has been very little change from the ordinary conditions of trado and labour _ that pertained' throughout, the '■■ previous- month. New cheese • factories .. are being - erected throughout-tin's district,' and also additions made to sonic of "the 'present mips, so that if is ■ anticipated tp'tle'al with :i much greater .milk-supply next season than 'previously..,.' ■~-,