LABOUR MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 948, 15 October 1910, Page 12

LABOUR MARKET.

MONTHLY DEPARTMENTAL V REPORTS. BRIGHTER PROSPECTS. : ■ - Journal' of; tho 1 Depa;rtment ' of Labour, reports: as follows on trade' and labour in Wellington:— ' ... , ? ■ ' ■ The anticipations of brighter , prospects hinted in tho last report havo been substantially realised, a decided improvement; being J now, manifest, ' particularly ' witlv retailors,. the. despondency,- exhibited during the past few months having, now materially, diminished,, and- -business generally . has " assumed - a'. ...brighter ; and healthier , tone. , The' l spring trkde. has opened' ''well. with- - drapers; - tailors, and clothiers,' who' -accept this , excellent, start aS^a ( bright omen for the season's business. B.obt- and dealers report . favourably,' .and ri gTOcers "and provision-shops loniinn the general:, improvement. :; With ■;: the; price of , stock-', still high, butchers, how'evef, i)«eri'i.tnat.! ; with thcin, nnd a of men'.aro'"'out''-'oi-[.employment! \ Bakers and coniecbonors ( report improved: trade: :' The- Revival .in the building' trade has',- not,'been of; ,n " ileetihg natorej 'and all branches continue active. ■-Tho roport.'-.of - the City Building Superintendent' states that for' the. four -weeks ending - on *. September - 20: - seventy- : oiio'.applications to erect, alter, or: extend buildings, .'at- an. estiaiated: total- cost -of, '.£36,627. were..-received by. the City Coun-|-cil.-' !Tho largest contract,.is .the; ereotion "of- car-sheds'-,at Thorndon .Quay .for. - the. City., Tramways;the.other',: contracts i nearly.v.all pertain . to,'. dwellinga '; With •perhaps.'the exception of the iron trade, which :is not up - to'.,: a normal' standard; ■business; is ■ buoyant 1 .with 1 mahui actoers,' .and' most factories, -:especiallj;;';the.' clothiing.r woollen, 1 hnd •■bootmakin'g> : factories,;aro ¥ery, busy. Speaking comprehcnsivelyi; it may bo said that there dssgood :Ciiuse for';- congratulation.'-,at. present- conditions ■'when-;-, compared. ::with ,•, those,- existing - at; the same period last year. f '

■ trades ;'fairly., busy, ...and likely to .continue' so for',some time, .but, ithere;: is' Apparently, .sufficient labour,,,,,fp! imeeti-all i/praenf.'^emancp,-', EricKJayinß:'sbdws 'a further ■Iniprovenient on . that: ireportedjastj.month.,/Inquiries' have been .made :fbri good" tradesman, particularly .for .ciruntry / districts."; Carpentering.-^-&■con-:-Vsiderdble /amount 1 of cottage-work •is beri ing carried out,'.in the suburbs and at. ; seaside *resorts,and, only : those'who,; may lbs' transferrine .from' one'job -to another, 'are; ■ temporarily . out Vof employment!; 'Painting is brisk, ..there, being " a 'rush of/ work lat the, moment;'. difficulty, exists in ' securingcompetent /fradesmenl Mastering only fair,. though; only; , three men aro .now reported v.idle;!:a number r-jiave found -work, m other, centres. Plumbing—There has - been-a'''.marked,-improve.: ment' during ' the, month, ' and ■ air: hands' aro employed. Stonemasons, are.stillfkept. busy. Builders' Owing, no doubt, to' the scarcity' of contracts on big buildings, a number, pf labourers' are idle,: tho majority of contracts being, too small -to'/require' labourers. ■ Sawmilling shows no immediate improvement,'.but betterment, is early oxpected.' ■

I Engineering, trades: Eeports are. not 'satisfactory ; the. improvement; reported last' month Has' somewhat lessened. . Electrical engineering: As expected,-trade has iincreased," 'and' immediate prospects are' very favourable; Iron and-.brass moulding: There has/been no cessation ,in trade, iand/shops are/kept'fairly busy ;-there is,however, no demand for moro -workoie.

Leather - trades i> ; factories : have :^ been very 'busy : for ; .sbme;, months, and . last month there was a further increase./ of. business reported.- Employers.: still ; com-' ;plain /of .the. scarcity of workers in ' this industry.'. /■/,,/./'/■■'/ '/' v !: ' I:/ Clpthihg trades: Clothing faptories. con-' tinuo to be very blisy,'. and,. as sufficient workers cannot' bo secured, overtime will 1 ■have to be worked. Shirt-making is in" a similar satisfactory state. In order, tailoring, there, has been a sudden.'and marked improvement,'/and ' employers report themselves as very pleased with the satisfactory business, /accorded to. them' so, early in' the 'season./ - Ladies' tailoring has 'quietened, as is i.usual iwith/the'-/end:.of the. .winter ' season. : ' Dressmaking .:, and ! millinery•■■}The -expected/' , improvement has,^..manifested,; itself' during/-the.. month,' ; and-shops ;are'how.' gettihig busier, e|peoi-' ally'so in. the millinery. Woollen-milling exceedingly busy, and there, is: ho immediate sign. of. cessation visible. / .Over-' time . is .being worked.

Meat-freezing,. etc.: There is nothing doing but killing , for local ; consumption, and I this, on account of the high 'ruling for/ stock,. Sis "not . as- brisk 1 as: it should be. ;>ln : fellmohgering : and tho tanning and 'curtying /trades business' has, kept up very well, and employers state that, there is no causo for complaint. Coachbuildirig: ,The' , improvement reported last month has been well maintained, but there:.is, still room' for betterment, as all hands are not yet:in;full employment. • Cycle and motor trades: The month has shown an increase :of trade, and ' the factories are-getting busy.; This "betterment.will be.enhanoed :aa tho seasonadvances." /:'":.- /'■:-' -

Unskilled labour, and general: It is. satisfactory to say that there is a decreasing number of applicants for employment over last month. The .increased activity in the building- trades' locally is,of .course the :main . factorin.'.creating an extra demand for ■ tradesmen,- but local employers have not ' applied to the Department for mori to any appreciable extent. .. In the country -towns there seems to be a great dearth of. labour, : especially for. skilled; tradesmen "connected with, the building trades, and the , head office. : has been applied, to for a very large; number, of men., - Farm labourers have been in strong demand, and tho Department has beennble to .fill a : large number' of vacancies satisfactorily.. The majority of ..these engagements have, been effected' with new arrivals . from overseas. :In Bushmen, scrub-ontters, and ploughmen have been inttuired for) but suitablo men have been difficult to'obtain. Several married couples have been satisfactorily placed, but' there:--are still, vacancies to be filled.. During, the period just ended 157 married and single men, having 162 dependents,, were sent to private and public works, 101 being sent to private employment; and 53 to Govern-' 'ment works. Included amongst tliose assisted were' carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, minors, painters, farm hands, and labourers. ,' •