CARPENTERS

Grey River Argus, 14 August 1937, Page 11

CARPENTERS

WORK IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, August 12. With the exception of a lew casual men, there is little unemployment amongst carpenters in the Wellington

district, said the secretary of„the Car- - penters’ and Joiners’ Union (Mr. J. i Moulton) to-day. The Government nousing scheme, he said, is relieving > the position. There still remains the ; difficulty for a number of married men of having to travel to secure t work, and this expense, and the proolem of keeping two homes going, cuts down the money for the family. “The answers so far received to , 10,000 questionnaires I sent out,” said Mr. Moulton, “show that the annual wage of a number of tradesmen is from £152 to £lB2, and that the average rental paid is 30s per week. That leaves little per week for food and clothing. The replacement of tools represents an average cost of £3 a year. I’he safe storage of tools is one of the trade’s problems. “During the depression many fullyqualilied tradesmen secured jobs «s tramwaymen and in other steady jobs, and it is very hard to get them back at their trade, in which continuous employment is rare. They may bet better wages at their trade, may even earn £8 a week occasionally with overtime, but when the year is ended, they are not so well off, after paying travelling expenses and maintaining their separated families, as they would be if they were driving, for instance, a baker’s cart, or in employment in almost any capacity where they are retained all the year round and can live with their families.” The same drawback existed in most trades, it was stated when inquiries wore made, and it appears that it is most difficult to get a man earning up to £5 a week as conductor or motorman, storeman, or an employee of any local body, back to the trade at which he served his apprenticeship. Some of these employments are healthier than the original trade, but the chief attraction appears to be the certainty of a steady wage and the united family. S- t