LABOUR MARKET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 89, 17 April 1911, Page 3

LABOUR MARKET.

CONDITIONS DURING MARCH. POSITION IN WELLINGTON. The Labour Journal for March, reporting on the conditions of employment and trade for the month ending 31st March, states that in Auckland the conditions _ were very satisfactory. In almost every line of manufacturing business was very brisk, the jne exception being the engineering and ironfounding trade. The retail trade for the tea^on of tha year was very good, business people reporting thac they were well ahead of the track for the same period of hist year. Tho dry season ■« as militating against the drapers somewhat, but there was nothing to complain about. The various trades •were busy, with the exception mentioned. There was no congestion oi unskilled labour. In Wellington shopkeepers generally geve fomewhat pessimistic reports of the business done during March. The reasons for this weie generally stated to be that last year Easter came in March, and the weather this year has been very dry and hot. This sultry weather, whilst beneficial in many ways to outside operations, had seriously affected some of the retail trades. Drapers and clothier* were the chief Fufterers ; winter stocks had been displayed for some time, ( but sales were slotv. Butchers, fishmongers, and oyster dealers had also been considerably handicapped by the extremely mugg}' heat. Improved conditions are anticipated for April. With the exception of "bricklaying, work in the building i-rades had been plentiful, creating in Mine instances an unsatisfied demand for tradesmen — chieily carpenters atid painteit. Reports from factories wera exceedingly favourable, and complaints of a shortage of hands have bean rife in some trades, particularly the boot, cabinelraaking, and clothing factories. The slaughtering and freezing works were in full swing, and capable h;mds fully employed. Conditions for unskilled labour had been very satisfactory, but with regard to Wellington city itself there was little call from private employers for this clas.s. The departmont was now in' a better position to supply, the wants of private employers y/ith a competent chiss of worker than it had beeu^for the past three months. Conditions were favourable in Christchurch, and quite up to those which prevailed during the same month of previous years. The long spell of dry weather was having a very deleterious effect on the grassland, and a break in the drought was hoped for, as otherwise there would be insufficient time for a good growth of feed before the winter sets in. Stock for the freezing works came to hand fairly freely, but tho records were hardly up to thope of last year. However, if 'the dry weather continued, farmers would be compelled to considerably reduce the number of their stock, unless they had artificial feed to carry them through the winter months. There is very little change in the conditions prevailing in Dunedin since the end of February. Harvest operations concluded somewhat earlier than usual, owing to the continuance of the very dry weather. Quite a number of labourers had called at the bureau looking for casual work and for employment on farms. Work for unskilled labour within the town had been fair, and there

was a slight improvement in coal mining, which industry had lately been very bad. In the building trades work had been fairly good. Retail trades appeared to bo slightly depressed, and theTe were some pessimistic prophecies to the effect that there was worse to follow, but. generally speaking, these were in the minority. From fair to good is a summary of the conditions prevailing in other centres, but in New Plymouth and Oamaru trade ifi not so good. •