THE LABOUR MARKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 73

THE LABOUR MARKET.

A PROSPEROUS PERIOD. WELLINGTON, January 15. " There is no need for any able-bodied man to be out of work," says the Labour Department. The department had not the slightest difficulty in plating all the applicant* who arrived recently by the But pehu and the Somerset. The whole of the callers who sought work had their needs in this direction satisfied, and the department at the present time could place something like 150 farm hands and ploughmen, many of which vacancies hav. been on the books since December. Ihe department is not getting the assistance it looked for in filling these vacancies. In connection with the immigrants from Home it wa s pointed out that a large number of them invariably express a desire to go to Auckland, even though work was offered them in Wellington city and district. An officer of the department, when asked to explain this curious state of affairs, expressed the opinion that an impression had got abroad in the Old Country that Auckland was the leading city of* the Dominion from the point of view of labour activity. Example.s were quoted of men, new arrivals from overseas, who preferred to travel to Auckland first, passing work in this city on tha chance that they would find employment in the north. What they said was in-. effect : " If we can't get work up there well we can always return."