TRADE AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1288, 17 November 1911, Page 3

TRADE AND LABOUR.

THE "JOURNAL'S" MONTHLY RE> PORT. NT.IJ.INCiTOX.

Tlio Joiu-ii'il of tlu- Department of Labour I In- fullowinK report on (In' condition of (null l .iiiil labour ii) 'Wellington during Oelobrr:—

"Ntitttitlif.liiiuliiij; Hip somewhat unseasonable weather Mjicrieiiceil, reports of tnulr r;m<!ili(iiis ive'eivcd fnim .-.liojikccpiTs durisig (icloljor liiivc been fjivoiirablci in lone ami lh» pro>iK"<-ls urn blight for a cfiiilinu.-ince <il jjocd business »|) io the end nl llio yenr. Tho imiUlin;,' trndes «n< liu-y, si of liJiuds Lciiiß notia , - i'bii', j»:iriii-iiJ:uJv in the plastering nlid pnintiiiß iriiilc:-.' M'itli ilm pswplinn of .■■■linn liniiiclirs of Hie ciißiiiPPrinj,' tr.idr, Hhtp is ;in tipjircoiiiblr , iirlivity in ninsl: uf ill" l'uvtorips. In comparison with, (he conTrirandinf r"iin<l of Ixst year 11 de-i-idpfl "(rpiicriil improvompnt hns obtained.

Building Trades.—All liranclics are ac(iv", and. with I he. demands Tiiado from ntlinr teal its fnr .lvorkmen, 1 hero i> likely to I'p. a. ninrkeil senrcitv of hrmds for foiun (imp. Bricklaying— frado is good, nil arailuble men lieing fully employed. Carpentry imil joinery—lnquiries arc jnadn for competent tradesmen. Painting is verv biify, and hands are wanted. Vliielcring is particularly brisk; it is so in other centres nlso; aud cdvcrtiscmciits ofTpiing over the usual rato of pay arc frequent: this has tended to unsettle a number of perm.inent hands employed by local contractors. Pliinibini and gusfil:tins—Trudc i.s good, and no hands nre reported idle. Stoiicmasonry— Siillio-iout v.'ork in still in siglit to absorb .ill local tradesmen.

Woodivorkinft Trades.—Cabinet making and upliolsUTiujr aro brisk, and good tradesmen ;ires soupht after. Boxuuitcing and coopering (.•oiiUiiuo husy. iSnsh and dour factories are in full nxirk. but no extra hands are miuirwl. , Sawmilling is just busy eiioiigh to keep present bauds fully employed. Wood-turning is btill on tho quiet .side.

Engineering Trades.—Boilerniaking has improved during tho month, but there is still considerable room for betterment. Brass and copper-smithing—All hands aro fully employed, a.ud in coppersmithing capable men aro asked for. Fitting and turning—This branch is very quiet; the small coastal steamers being laid up has tended to minimise. business. Electrical engineering' is reported to be very brisk, and likely to continue so for a considerable time; a strong demand exists for capable workers. Iron and brass moulding—There lias been a marked drop in trade, and this branch is dull. Kangemaking—Although, all hands aro working full time, thsro is .no briskness, and trade is expected to slacken soon.

Leather trades.—ln boot factories and repair shops full work has obtained, and at tho moment tliero are no apparent signs of any lalling-off in trade. Saddlery and harnessmaking continue busy, all hands being absorbed.

Clothins trade.—Dressmaking and millinery: Ail workrooms are busv, and considerable overtime is being worked. Shirtmaking is very brisk, and is likely to be fo for a considerable time, as sufficient workers to cope with orders in hand cannot' be obtained. Clothing factories: Trade is distinctly brisk, and more hands are badly needed. Order tailoring: All shops aro busy, and from now till the o'.id of tho season there will bo a demajid for both tailors and tailorcsses. Woollon milling is brisk; thero is still a strong demand for boys and female. workers.

Printing trades.—ln all branches the mouth has been a good one; tho coming general election will tend to keep trade at high pressure durin?' next . month. Bookbinding' is also brisk. . .

Moat freezing, etc.—There will bn littlo doing until the seasou .starts next month.

Tanning and currying.—Although out of season, trade is good, and considerably more hands have been employed than at the- 5-a.uic period last year.

Coachbuilding trade?.—All branches are reported busy, no bauds being unemployed. .■'.■■'

Cycle and motor trades. —Reports riiow trade to be brisk, with expected improvements as tho season advances.

' Unskilled labour.—Tho demand for this .class of worker has been very satisfactory during the past month, and no diilieully lnis been experienced in placing men willing aud capable of undertaking such work out of tho city itself. Jinad and railway work has been freely offering, but it is difficult to procure men used to this class of work. The Department could also place thirty good bushnicM, on contract, at .£1 10s. per acre, on tho Mokau Block. The demand for dairyfiirni hands exceeds the supply, and farmers iire at present greatly handicapped by not being able to secure this class of labour. In some cams farmers are ofl'criug from ,1:1 10*. fo JJI 15s. per week, and found for capable men. Ploughmen have also boon inquired for at good wages. Although a very largo, nuinbrr of immigrants have arrived, including some trained farm hands, (he Department's assistance hns not been sought to auy great extent. Farmers are. inclined to blumo the Department for its inability to scud men. but the men are not always availnble. The Department has beau able lo supply Die rpuuirwneuls of a very large number of who applied earlier in the season, but those who have applied lalcr have had to suffer delay or disappointment. During Hie period'just ended employment has been found for 174 men—ss married, and 11!) single—having 159 dependants; 113 being saut to privale employment, ami UI (o Government works; compiling'bricklayers , , engineers farm labourers, hotel workers, painters, aud labourers.

OTIIER PLAGES Palmerston Xorlh.-Trade generally during the past mouth has been brßperhaps rather moro so than usual on account of tho coining B]>riug- sjion-. There is a scarcity of -workers in certain trade.?, anil during the past i'civ months tinsmiths, painters, and conchhuilders June been win ted badly, an<l advertised for, but wiUtiiiit result, and a large amount of trade lias been lost through employers being uiiablo to obtain the necessary labour. Carpenters, 100, have Iwcu wanted, and in one instance an employer has been payiiiff as much as H. Sd. 'an hour, so difficult hii.i it been lo jjet.mpii. There have l>ooll a few unemployed, mostly unskilled labourers. Girls iii the tailoring, dressmaking, millinery, 'and rcffalia-mak-inj: have lmen soiirlil: after -without eiiecess, and trade, has been refused on (his account.. One iii-ni nlono ean iiud employment for twenty girls if they wero available.

Jlastrrlon.—During the past month trado and labour conditions have, brightonod up considerably, iiiid now assume an appearance nf general activity. Tho. building trades.. have experienced a hiisy tinifl in almost: every department, and, with still a considerable iimount of work in new, promise steady oiuploymcnt for tradesmen, l-'urminf; and nericultiiral employment has been somewhat better than usual.

Wanganui.—Very littlo change has taken place in trade einco tho last report.

Napier.—During dm month under review mpoj-(s jwuernlly indicate good business. There, has bwn a little, tightness nf ready-money, but (he sales have not guild bslon- (lie standard of Hie, sanio period of last year. The, shearing season has ii?a.in found employment, for a larjjo iiiiiiikiT »l' mi'H, anil, bv ()m ilyece, is likely to be a profitable one both for ouiplovfr anil employee. The riilliira.l operations are in'fiill sivingr, but I here has been no demand for labour. Tho builrlin? trades' have, had another liii.-v month, and, us far as present imitation's show, an' likety (o contiuuo so for fomo titue. There is a i-e.ircify of Rood nrlisnns in Ibis trade. The unskilled labourer has been ill demand during tho month, and all available men liavo beeu placed.

New Plymouth.-Tho building and allied trade"? si ill continue very busy; all hands are eoiiM.'inUy employed, ;md. tho prospeets of the future are encouraging. Tn addition to the work in hand, (hero is a larße cjuiuitity of work in the, hands of the architects. _ There is :i larco numisor of rgsiili'iiocs in coiiko of erection, and aha a iiiiihlct of substantial business places beiiif,' built in different parts of tho- province. Sutler and checso manufacturing has not progressed us well as was anticipated at thii bri-innin:,' of last period. The iiiiM'llli'.l wenlli:')' has played havoc wilh sluck in lniiny parts of the wovince, while all Uirouph (ho district tho milksupply has not shown Ihe increase cxpti.'le'l. II: is expected Hint operations will bo re.-iinittl at Hie killinpr, frccziiifr, and jM'csorvinj; works before next report, ajid it is lo be hoped fur the. h ake of the industry that there will bo a moro plentiful supply of stock offoriuc this Boason.'