WORK IN WELLINGTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10104, 16 March 1911, Page 1

WORK IN WELLINGTON.

GLOOMY STATEMENT OFFICIALLY CONTRADICTED. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, March 15. It was reported by tho Wellington correspondent of certain southern newspapers the other day that thore are "bad times" in Wellington and that very many men here are out of work. In support of such statements the recent declaration by the Mayor that the city tramways department has 2000 applicants for positions on its files was quoted, as well as other remarks made by Mr Wilford on the same matter, and the general inference was drawn that things in the capital are " decidedly dull." Some investigations made to-day by a reporter, however, clearly demonstrate that,' so far as the labour aspect is concerned, the position is not nearly as bad as has been made out.

" In my opinion," said an authority consulted, " there can be no doubt that the Mayor was exaggerating if he meant to convey that there were 2000 men actually awaiting positions on tho Wellington trams. Possibly what he did mean was that 2000 names had been placed on the books as applicants for work since the system began running, or that this number remained on after successful applicants had removed their names, but I am confident that of this 2000, if the number is correctly given, fully 90 per cent axe of men who are actually in employment at present, but possibly wish to join tho service, as providing lighter work and better pay than they now get. Why, in a town like Wellington it is impossible that there could be 2000 men unemx>loyed at this time of year without the circumstance attracting very general attention and comment. It would, in fact, surprise me to learn that even 200 able-bodied men in the city were unable to obtain jobs. I doubt if you could possibly get that number of applicants for, say, heavy manual labour, and even if you did probably not more than 25 per cent would be able-bodied men. Undoubtedly, there are a number out of work who are practically unfitted for anything more strenuous than clerical work, but I do not think that even this class is at present very numerous."

Officials of the Labour Department state that there are certainly more men applying for work in Wellington just now than there were "during January or February, but this is said to be due to the fact that harvest work and grass seeding in the South Island hare just concluded for the season. The men are consequently coming north, and naturally apply to the Department at Wellington, ithe first town they reach. It is found that the applicants are mostly single men, without dependents, and every one is being urged by the Department to go right on to the country districts, where work .in good supply is known to be offering, but even though the number of such applicants is larger than it was last month it is much smaller thsu it was in March of last year, which, after all, is the true test of comparison. All tradesmen here are said to be fully occupied and there does not seem to be any dearth of work for carpenters, painters and building workers generally. Of the largo number of immigrants who arrived from England by the Ruahino on Saturday only fourteen have sought the Department's advice and assistance, and practically these were not making Wellington their destination at all. "Taking it all round," declared one officer, "things are a great deal better than they were a year ago, and I do not anticipate that wo will have a bad winter at all to far as employment is concerned."