THE LABOUR MARKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 15

THE LABOUR MARKET.

Mr Skknb reports for the week ending 28th March : —

The harvest rush is now over, and threshing out: ocsupies most .attention. Wages are good for . tho right class of men. The demand for couples is brisk at, present, and old experienced hands get well paid., There is not such a "down" upon couples who have tho impudence to have families as there used to be. In many to be highly-commended cases the demand ia for lavge families, who will grow up attached to the homes'ead. Tho riffraff are fast returning to town, after doing a bit of harvesting. Fortunately this class is getting fewer aud fewer every season. As to female servants we must resign ourselves to tfie Fates until Parliament grants money to get out % good supply from Home. No doubt girls are well paid in Hew Zealand, but people forget the fact that in this free country a female domestic has to do. work equal to two of the same class in Britain. Hotels aro quiet. Tradesmen aro alt busy, and getting excellent wages, with very little broken time. Dairy folks are scarce. Shopherds are mere in demand than is' usual at the " back end " of tho season. Ploughing will soon be general. Wages : Day labour, 7s, Ss, and 93 ; carpenters, 9s to lls ; Biniths, 10s ; station and farm couples, £70 £80 ; shepherds, £60 and £65 ; station cooks, 20s and ?ss, for slack time ; ploughmen, £52 to £(!5 ; milkers, 10s, 12s, 15s, and 20s ; hotel men, 20s, 30s, to 60s ; hotel females, 15s, 20s, and 30s ; general servants for stations, farms, and town families, 10s, 12s, and 15s ; laundresses, £40 to £60; boys, 5s to 15s.

Messrs Grant and M'Neili, Universal Labour" Exchange, report :—

Ploughmen are now inquired for at £52 to £55. General farm hands, who can milk, get good wages. Aye have placed a number of shepherds this week at £CO. Couples dull to get off at £60 to £75. Gardeners £65 per annum and found. General hahds — Grooms and milkers, 20s; boys, 5s to 10s; station cooks, 255 ; blacksmiths, 30s ; cooks, 30s to 40s ; bush, railway, and contract work, 7s to 9s ; carpenters, S3 to 10s ; blacksmiths, 8s to 10s ; masons, bricklayers, plasterers, 103 to 12s per day. Female servants are in better supply.