LABOUR MARKET.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 699, 8 May 1916, Page 10

LABOUR MARKET.

CONDITIONS DURING APRIL. TRADE GENERALLY SATISFACTORY. The monthly report of the Labour Department gives the following resume of the industrial conditions obtaining during the past month: — Bricklayers.—Work plentiful. Carpentry and Joinery.—Trade fallen off to some extent, and several union members unemployed. Painting.—Fairly good, considering the time of year, only one or two being unemployed. Plastering.—Trade is good, men being all placed. Plumbing and Gasfitting.—Reported fairly good. Sheet Metal Workers.—Busy. Stonemasonry.—Men are fairly well employed, conditions being about normal. Boxtnaking.—"Very busy, a new establishment having been opened up. Cabinetmaking and Upholstering.—Trade good, quite equal to last year, some shops being very busy. Sash and Door Factories. —Tjrade is only fair, but hands are being kept fully employed. Sawmilling.—Reports indicate improvement on last month. Wood Turning.—Business is dull, much slower than previous month. Agricultural Implement Making.—Slow, and shortage of supplies militates against the manufacture of stock lines. Boilermaking.—Good, all hands fully cmployed. t Brass and Coppersmithiiig.—Trade very busy; two or three good brass turners can be placed. Fitting and Turning.—Trade is somewhat slower, but indications are for an immediate improvement. Iron and Brass Moulding.—Normal; shortage of material curtailing the manufacture of stock lines. Rangemaking.—Fair, a slight improvement on last month. A considerable business is being done in lines previously imported. Bootmaking (factories*. —Busy, Easter trade being exceptionally good. Saddlery and Harnessmaking.—Trade is reported to be fair. : Dressmaking and Millinery.—Trade is good, and equal in volume to previous year. Tailoring (factories). —Very busy, all hands and branches fully employed, and overtime being worked. Tailoring (order). —The trade for Faster was not up to expectations. Woollen Milling.—Trade busy, mills working at full pressure, and overtime being worked. The retail trade is reported good in the following lines:—Clothing, boots, drapery, and printing. , Tanning, Currying, and Fellmongery.— "Trade normal, there being a big demand for heavy-weight leather. Blacksmithing.—Slower than last month, very little work being in hand. Coach, Carriage, and Tramcar Building.— Trade quiet. Cycle and Motor Trade.—Fair; lmsy in repairs. Farming and Dairying.—No change since last month's report, and conditions are normal. There are no men unemployed' on the union's books. Tinsmithing and Galvanising.—Both busy. Brush and Broom Manufacturing.—Busy. Biscuit, Confectionery, and Chocolate Making.—Very busy, the only anxiety being in regard to the shortage of tin plate. Unskilled Labour.—Better employed during the past month, owing to work at Hanmer, and men being transferred to North Island. During the month 2.'! single and 48 married men, with 151! dependents, have been placed, 15 in private and 56 in Government employment. WOMEN'S BRANCH. The officer in charge of the Women's Branch of the Labour Department reports : During the month the following applications were received from employers:— Domestics 33, cooks and cook-generals 39, house and house-parlourmaids 25, lady helps 6, waitresses 2, housekeepers 2, kitchen and pantrymaids 7, nurse 1, charwomen 17; — total, 132. For the same period applications from employees were: —Domestics 4, cooks and cook-generals 0, housemaids 2, housekeepers 2, lady helps 3, kitchen "maids 1, nurse 1,

charwomen 11;—total, 30. Twenty-five of these were found suitable employment, three of whom came from the North Island and 22 from the South Island. Three of the unsuited ones were not requiring positions until after the holidays. Domestics of all classes are exceedingly scarce, and it is almost impossible to procure help for the country, although many good positions with excellent wages are offering.