THE LABOUR MARKET. (From Our Own Corespondent.) AUCKLAND, January 18.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 27

THE LABOUR MARKET. (From Our Own Corespondent.) AUCKLAND, January 18.

Labour conditions during January are not usually at their best, and the advent of some hundreds of immigrants gives rise to the question of whether or not the position is likely to become aggravated. The completion of the Main Trunk lines means that one of the most important of outlets for unskilled labour no longer exists. Several batches of men have been sent to the (iov-erximerifc -works at Opotdki and Kawakawa during the jiast week, and while the demands upon the Government Labour Department in Auckland are no heavier than they were this time last \ear, there is a very fair number of people anxious to find work. In the case of the recent arrivals from England, the department has so far not found the immi(?rants making unusual or immediate demands. On Saturday last there wero only 12 inquiries from the Mamari's and Cornwall's passengers, and while there were a- few more this morning, it would appear that many of the newcomers have either fouud work or are satisfied to push inquiries upon their own account. Mr J. Shanahan, of the Auckland Labour Department, . admitted that January, always more or 1-cgs a holiday month, was not the best time of the year ■ for trade, but at the same tim& he declared that the position, as far as the labour market wa6 concerned, was by no means aggravated. On being asked if the crowd waiting outside the inquiry room represented the average number of workl^st people ■ looking for employment, Mr Shanaghan replied that Monday waa always the busiest day of the week, and that during the last few weeks the number of inquiries received on that day had ranged from about 35 to 60. His department was doing its best to find employment for them, and last week had found occupations for 48 people. There' was no distress as far as he knew, and he did not regard the labour problem as at all serious, business in Auckland being good and most of the trades fairly brisk. Referring to the arrival of so many immigrants, Mr Shanaghan said he did not anticipate that any difficulty would arise in eventually settling them in positions. The great majority of them had been the n'lht dais of 'immigrant — young and healthy, possessing some capital, and qualified to follow some trade. The farmers, farm labourers, and domestic sei'vants \vould speedily find employment; and a great many of these were authorised from New Zealand, which meant that they were coming out to join friends who ha# guaranteed or nominated them.

WELLINGTON, January 18. There is (sars t!w Labour Journal for January) practiuilly little ot no demand locally. fov unskilled labour, but the cofl for •experienced farm workers, milkers. ;>n : '. p!ons?»mcn in tho country at present exceeds the supply. In many cases men used to this cla.-s of work decline to take it up owincr to the long hours worked. No difficulty has been experienced in placing suitable ni*»i on road and railway works, and now tbst the harvest is about to start" there should be no lock of employment for those willing to go into the counfrv. A !arj/p number of new arrivals applied for work, and the majority were assisted to work in different parts of the Dominion. During the period just ended the departmont. has found en>i)lovment for 45 mar-7-i'—l antj M 9 single men, with 106 «Ie« pendents, on private and public works. The majority of those en^ag^d were sent t<> private employment. In addition seven wives, with 15 children, were spnt io fcin their liusbands on co-operative works.