THE LABOUR MARKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 12

THE LABOUR MARKET.

■ The Journal of the Department of Labour for March contains the following- reports of the condition of the local labour market: Reports received on ' trade and labour conditions during the month of Februaryare, generally speaking, very satisfactory. Applicants for employment have been very few, and there appears to have been no dearth of work. There has, however, been_ a continuous spell of very dry, hot weather." "Whilst conducive to good shopping trade, and .-seasonable to harvesting, the drought consequent thereon has had a very deterrent effect on crops and stock, which will be seriously felt by agriculturists, farmers, and stock dealers. Farmers have been compelled to harvest early, which will tend to create a surplus of labour earlier this year than usual. Reports from the retail trades, are, on the whole, very favourable} Butchers and grocers state that steady business has been done in necessaries, but there is evidently very little surplus cadh available for luxuries. The drapery sales ! are supposed to account for this. Drapers ; report business as very satisfactory, and quite as good as that experienced in the . coresponding period of last year. In the ; boot trade only business in light footwear is reported. ,On account of the Easter holidays shopkeepers generally appear sail- > guine of good business being done right through, the ensuing month. j Building Trades.—Bricklaying: Employ- i ment has been rather intermittent; the brickwork on several large contracts is now completed, and the majority of current "vork is confined to 'small jobs. Operatives up to the present have made good time, but conditions point to trade being qujiet during the incoming month. In carpentry a fair amount of work is offering, but not sufficient to absorb all hands, and from \ 15 to 20 names are at present on the em- : ployment books of the union. Plastering, which was quiet in the early part of the month, has' brightened, and all competent hands are employed. Painting has been dull since Christmas, and about 20 painters are still out of work. Plumbing- has shown a slight falling off from the healthy state of trade reported last month. A few men axe out of work, and immediate prospects are not hopeful. Stonemasons will be fully emplo3 T ed for some months, but there is no call for additional hands. With the bricklaying trade easing, a number of builders' labourers have been put off. Agricultural Operations.—The very dry weather, which continued right through the month, has seriously affected the crops. Harvesting has _ been carried out earlier than usual owing to the draught, and workers who usually come to Otago immediately after harvesting in the north have. experienced difficulty in gettng that ,vork locally. v Ploughing operations are practically at a standstill till the rain comes. Dairying has also been seriously affected on account of the want of feed causing the cows to go dry. Work should also be obtainable shortly at rabbit-trapping and poisoning. Mining.—There is no. change in the coal- ; mining industry, which is still quiet. The esuing month should, however, show im- : prpvement. Orders have been received for I capable miners for the West Coast. Sluio. j ing and dredging are normal, there being no-inquiries for extra hands. , -Unskilled Labour. —Owing to the harvest ing season being in full 6wing, there have been very few applicants for pick-and-shovel work. This is fortunate in view of the fact that all Government works are now full-handed. As the harvesting finishes the usual influx into the city will no doubt occur, but. it is to be hoped that these workers will endeavour to secure further work, such as rabbiting, etc., in the country, as there is very little prospect of their getting work shou'd they come to the towns. There are vacancies for rockdrillers who are used to machines. During the month 132 men were assisted to employment, 15 going to Government j and 117 to private work. Of the latter, 24 ' were farm labourers, and the balance mainly harvesting hands. Oamartj. Now_ that the harvest is practically over there is no demand for labour here just at present. The threshing mills are' in j. full swing and are fully manned.. Potatodigging will soon be general, but, there is always sufficient local labour to cope with the work offering. Trade is fairly good. . and all branches have their full number of men employed. " i Agricultural Operations. dairy- J ing, etc.: Owing to the dry season the ' supply of milk is not as good as usual season of the year, but nevertheless

supplies are fairly good. The turnip crop is backward. Unskilled Labour. —There is now no inquiry for unskilled labour, as the harvest is over and the mills are full-handed. There are no local unemployed. WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT BUREAU. Good business has been transacted during the jperiod ending 20th -February, when 144 _ applications from employers requiring assistants were registered, and 62 from assistants seeking work, 49 of whom were placed in employment, 14 being married and 35 single. There were 74 applications from employers for " generals, and 16 were placed. There were 15 applications from employers for charwomen, and 13 were placed. Of 13 applications from employers for housemaids and six from assistants, seven were placed.