CASUAL LABOUR MARKET

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 119, 21 May 1914, Page 8

CASUAL LABOUR MARKET

EFFECT OF THE WEATHER. The effect of the weather on the casual labour market has been severe. Owing to the unusually wet and blustery conditions experienced, large numbers of men engaged on outdoor jobs have been thrown out of work, and are feeling the position keenly. Enquiries made at the Labour Department to-day showed that, mainly owing to this reason, the ranks of the unemployed have been swelled to a larger extent than usual at this time of" the year. There is, it appears, employment for a number of men in the country who are prepared to take on farm work, and it is hoped to get authority shoitly to place a further batch of 20 men on Government works.

A private cable meis-sage from Glasgow announces the death of Mr. Robert M'Cill, a veteran marine engineer, who retired from tho Union Company's service last year, and went back to his native country to spend the remainder of his -flays thero. The late Mr. M'C'rill came out to New Zealand 38 years ago in the old Wanaka, which called at St. Vincent, Capetown, and Hobart, picking up a cargo of timber at the last-named port. The Wanaka, which "was built on the Clyde, and was wrecked on the Taranaki Coast, was the first of the Union Company's vessels to make the West Coast Sounds^ excureionu. With the exception of the chief cook everyone ■tf-ho canio out to New Zealand in her is now dead. Mr. M'Cill's grandfather on the maternal side (Mr. Tlna-i. Wilson) claimed the credit of being the builder of the first- iron vessvel in the world. Slio Wats named the Vulcan, and in -nppeur.ince wae vory much like the old steamer 'Janp Douglas, which traded out of Wellington for many s-e-w. and i» now on the West Coast. Tha -fat her of the lato •Mr. M'Gill built the fine t wooden -brig to trade between Scotland and Canada. I3efor& he left for the Old Country in May of lust year. Mr. M'GilJ wns-'pre-jsenled by the directors of the Union Company with a cheque for £100. und win* piiterttimed by tho Mtmnti Ji!n--giiieei'B 1 lpfitituto in Wellington..