LOCAL LABOUR CONDITIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1913, Page 6

LOCAL LABOUR CONDITIONS

INSPECTOR’S LATEST REPORTS

Mr H. J. Torbit, local Inspector of Factories, in Ids latest report to the Minister of Labor, makes the following reference to the condition of the local labor market :

“The conditions of trade and labor throughout the district during the past month can be described' only as fair. Reports from shopkeepers vary, and a few employers of labor in factories state that it is difficult to find sufficient work to keep their staffs fully employed. Among the skilled trades there is no unemployment reported, but a number of small jobs in the building trade are nearing completion; it is hoped, however, that fresh work will be put in hand shortly, but at the moment of writing the local contractors are not too sanguine. Work on the water-front continues dull, and a considerable amount of unemployment is noticeable in this direction, the daily average of unemployment being fifty out of a total of 245 members of the union.

“Building trades; Bricklaying, fair. Carpentry and joinery, local hands fully employed. Painting, fair. Plumbing and gas-fitting, busy. “Woodworking trades: Cabinetniaking and upholstering, fair. Sash and door factories, busy. Sawmilling, fair. Woodturning, etc., fair. “.Mining: Coal, a slight improvement on last month has been shown.

“Engineering trades: Boilermaking, brass and copper-smithing, fitting and turning, iron and brass moulding, fair. “Leather trades: Bootmaking (factories) fair. Bootmaking (repair shops), busy. Saddlery and harness repairs, busy.

“Clothing trades: Dressmaking and millinery continue dull. Tailoring (factories and order), a slight improvement during the period has been noticeable. “Retail trades: Clothing, boots, and drapery, fair Groceries, normal. “Planting trades: Bookbinding and printing, normal. “Meat-freezing, etc. : Slaughtering, no unemployment reported. “Coachbuilding trades: Blacksmithing, fair. Coachbuilding, busy in repairs.

“Cycle and motor trades ; Repair work fair.

“Agricultural operations: Farming, dairying, etc., fair. “Miscellaneous: Flax-milling has been greatly hampered owing to wet weather, otherwise the industry is busy, and work could be found for more men. Ironmongery and general hardware, fair. “Unskilled labor: There were thirty applicants for employment during the period, four short of the number which applied last month. Thirteen men, *hree of whom were married, nine single, and one widower, with dependents totalling ten,