CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7851, 13 July 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

THE LABOUR MARKET. The current issue of the “Labour Journal,” reporting on the state of , the labour market, says:—“Outside of the retail trades there lias been a distinctly favourable tone in the general reports of business and trade for tho month. The inclement weather has tended to keep customers from shopping, and shopkeeiiers consequently report a slight falling off in business. In tho building trades there has been an appreciative briskness, and manufacturers generally have experienced a very busy month, trade being better all round than that of tho corresponding period of last year.” Oa the subject of unskilled labour the “Journal” states:—“Undoubtedly the winter season up to the end of June has proved to be a specially favourable one as far as applications for employment for unskilled labour aro concerned. There is an entire absence of large numbers of men applying from day to day for work,, as was the case during tho winter of! 1908 and part of tho winter of 1909; in-( deed, some considerable difficulty has been experienced at times in getting labour for employers outside of 'Wellington. During the period just ended bushmen, pick and shovel men, timber workers and ploughmen were wanted at fa r wages, and, although the department was able to supply most of the hands required, the men sent were not residents of Wellington, but were picked 'from those arriving from either the South Island, West Coast or some other parts of the North Island. The number of single men assisted to employment during the month was almost double the married men. As far as the department is aware, there were no cases of great distress amongst local applicants for employment.”

| THE PITT MEMORIAL. ! The Minister of Public Works received a deputation at Nelson with respect to the memorial to the last Hon. Colonel Pibt. Captain Stiles explained that tinfund approached £B3O. Of this the Government had already given £3OO, and the City Council had promised £3OO. ! After meeting the initial expenses the ! fund now stood at £BO3. Mr C. Y, Fell said that the subscribers had sanctioned the Church Hill steps as the most acceptable memorial. However, there was now a new phase in connection with the erection of the Church steps, Mr Thomas Cawthron having signified his willingness to undertake the work, and to present it to the city. It would be necessary now for tbo committee to go back-to the subscribers and report, and endeavour to find some other form of memorial for their late friend. Mr McKenzie said that the Church Hill steps proposal did net commend itself to the Government as a suitable form of memorial, this being a matter for the town corporation to attend to. The Government had promised a sum of £3OO, but ho was under the impression that prior to Sir Joseph Ward s departure for Home the grant had been! increased to £SOO in order that a memorial fitting to their late friend, 1 could be erected. He believed other a.mll more fitting forms of memorial could bs suggested, in fact' something might bs erected at Colonel Pitt’s grave, or at one of the public reserves. The Government, however, would be prepared to accept any suitable memorial and ho would not sa; that they would not accept the Cburcl Hill steps if the people of Nelson do sired it. DOMESTIC SERVICE. ''Applicants still prefer positions in public establishments that come within the cooks .and waiters’ award to those in private homes,” reports the matron in charge of the Wellington branch of tht Women’s Employment Bureau of the Labour Department. “There is evidenct that many engagements are made but not recorded on the books on account of neither mistresses nor" maids notifying the office that an engagement had been effected. Most of the mistresses are on the telephone, and it would be but the work of a few minutes to inform the department. This failure to notify, combined with that of girls failing to turn up to work which they have accepted, are the two great sources of trouble and disappointment not only to the office, but to those immediately concerned. The remedy adopted in the case of girls who disappoint employers is to strike their names off the card, unless the reason given is a legitimate one.” The Nelson agent states : “ There is a standing order to supply girls for biscuit and confectionery and jam factories. Considerable difficulty is experienced in obtaining girls for the dressmaking trade, and employers in this line complain that they have some trouble in fulfilling orders on account of this shortage.” From Dunedin comes the report Applications from employers in the country are numerous, but the department is unable to supply them with labour, owing to the extreme dearth of domestic assistants. The few obtainable absolutely refuse to go to the country, especially during the winter months."