SILVER LINING TO THE CLOUDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18186, 20 June 1927, Page 9

SILVER LINING TO THE CLOUDS.

EIG JOBS AHEAD ABSORB MANY MEN. Although just at present the situation in regard to unemployment in the city is particularly acute, and, in the case of some of the skilled trades is the worst that the unidns secretaries have known, there is a silver lining to the clouds. A couple of big jobs are looming ahead. After many delays a start has now been made with the work of constructing the foundations for the new buildings that are to be erected at the Addington Railway Workshops. This work in itself is not a particularly big one, but as soon as the contractor gets out of the way another contractor will make_ a start with the erection cf the buildings, a job that will provide employment for a large number oi aKmcd tradesmen. It is hoped that it will be commenced, within a couple of months. Another job that has just been started is that of reticulating the outer areas of the city with the high pressure water j supply. Eighteen men made a beginning on this work to-day. but if a good supply of pipes is kept up the number should be increased to a hundred in anI other month. Added to these prospects for the future is a more hopeful tone among business firms. It is believed that the worst of the depression is now over and that trade will now gradually improve. Skilled Trades Affected. The skilled trades particularly have been feeling the effects of unemployment during the past few months, very few unions being able to report that trade is good. In the building trades unions there is a large number of men out of work. Mr E. C. Sutcliffe, secretary of the Amalgamated Carpenters’ Union, informed a reporter that between fifty and sixty members of his union were regularly signing the unemployment register, and that he had never known the position to be so bad previously. The trade was bad throughout the Dominion, and several Christchurch men who had been working in Wellington had come back again and were now out of work. They stated that men from all parts of New Zealand had flocked to Wellington while the trade was bri k there. Mr Sutcliffe also stated that he had been to.’d by the representative of the contractor for the erection of the new buildings for the Addington Workshops that as soon as the work was commenced he would knock a big hole in the number of carpenters out of work. Stat© of Building Trade. In the last sisue of the “New Zealand Carpenter and Joiner,” which came to hand on Saturday, the following report on the state of trade in Christchurch appears: “The state of trade in and around Christchurch is anything but desirable. We have more unemployed at this time than at any period for many years. The unemployed bo6k has a record of signatures back to 1908, but never at any period between that year and the present time have we had so many signing. “Cottage-building is at a standstill. It is reported on good authority that there are upwards of 500 finished houses in our suburban area which have not yet been occupied. Looks as though the place is overbuilt. “We have no large jobs in hand to employ many men, nor does the immediate future hold bright prospects in this direction. * “One regrets to be writing in this strain, but they are facts, and may serve as a warning to any who are thinking of migrating in this direction.’’ The plastering trade usually escapes unemployment, but at present quite a number of members of the union are out of work. Others have returned from Wellington and swelled the ranks of the unemployed. Plumbers are Busy. Winter is a busy period for the plumbing trade and no members of the Plumbers’ Union have signed the unemployment register lately. A good deal of broken time is being worked in the rope and twine industry, and in addition a number of men have been put off. The industry is slacker than it has been for some years past. “The furniture trade is fairly dead.” said Mr R. Langford, secretary of the Furniture Trade Workers’ Union, in response to an inquiry. He stated that several men were out of work and were seeking any sort of employment that was going. A similar report was made bv Mr J. S. Barnett, secretary of the Wholesale Merchants’ Employees’ Union. He said that the position was much worse than it was last winter. The Tramway Employees’ Union never has an unemployment problem, because the members have one employer only, and if they leave their work they cease to remain in the union. A number of men from the Tramway Board’s permanent way staff and the workshops were paid off recently. ( The Drivers’ and Timber Workers’ Unions also have a number of men on their unemployment books. These men have been put off owing to slackness of trade.