Page 6 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11579, 18 February 1901, Page 6

Mr. John Duthie, of Wellington, has just been interviewed on his return from a visit, to England. He said : — Great difficulty is found in getting labour for some classes of work. For instance, while I was in Loudon, two firms, one shipping and another mercantile, advertised for a fortnight for office boys Without receiving a single application. A year or two back they would have received 50 or 100. You could hardly believe how fully people are employed. I here has not been that readiness of late to rush off to the war that there was. Men realise that it is better to work at home for decent wages than to rush off to the war and accept the wages offered to soldiers. The authorities seem afraid to raise the rate of pay for soldiers, because to do so would be to establish an expensive -ore. cedent. The way out of the dilemma is to employ colonial soldiers, even if for their temporary services they demand higher pay. An agreement has been come to amongst various shipping companies trading to the Antipodes by which the exact amount of tonnage to be deposited at each port has been agreed upon, as well as the rates at which it is to be carried. Large profits are being earned, and partially devoted to strengthening the concerns indicated. Individual importers and exporters have no redress, except to start a counter movement and build ships to carry their own requirements. There is every' indication that the present high prices of meat will be maintained for some time. It has been expected that with the immense trade being done, and the high prices ruling, wool would advance. There has been some embarrassment amongst speculators, but I cannot help thinking that there will be an improvement very soon,"