OUR OF WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13746, 11 May 1908, Page 6

OUR OF WORK.

UNEMPLOYED IN WELLINGTON PROTEST AGAINST IMMIGRATION. [IIT 1-KtECIUPH. —OWN CORBE.SPON'DKNT.] WEr.u.vGTOV, Sunday. " The action of the Government in imparling '=ibour by every English boat, . wbil thousand;-—thousands, I repeal—are out of employment ,in llk Dominion is scandalous" writes a correspondent to » local paper. " Recently," he continues, " I had myself occasion to apply locally for a job of carpentering to lust some three days. Witness my disgust and disappointment to m*> a stream of some thirty applicants or so for the same job." An examination of employment book. 1 ' showed the following numbers of "outs": —Labourers, 3: plasterers, nil: coachworkers, nil; general labourers, 12; butchers. 7; furniture trades, 3; bakers, 8; carriers, 3; grocers, 2: letterpress printers, 3; carpenters and joiners,_ about 20. i Th« unions still assert that the Labout Department's summary of the market is misleading, and the reply i* that the official declarations arc based on information gathered from employers. It is stated that those immigrants who have already arrived have been, absorbed somehow, but against this it. is contended that the country has now as much labour us it can use. Unionists say that tradesmen are getting assisted passages to New Zealand by labelling themselves "farm labourers." It,ls alleged that a, paintoi or a baker, it lie can fake up a referent about "agricultural -experience,", even if he docs not know whether wheat is a cereal or a vegetable, can pass the scrutineers. ___________ MEN IDLE AT IS BORNE. [a V TKI.KO'R A PH.—OWN- COKRKSrO.V OK NT. ] Gisbokne. Sunday. In consequence of the lvtrciithmen.' in busiifelling this season, , there urn a largo number of men idle at present. " there are at leas' 30 of as fine a stamp of men as one could wish to'sec waiting an opportunity of getting into the bush,' remarks the Labour Department official to a rej»otter to-day. "but there is nothing offering. It only requires' two or three large blocks of bush to come out, when most of the surplus labour would be employed." Men in search of work aro arriving by pretty well every boat. — ■ r