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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]

Industrial

Industrial.

With respect to the number of its established industries Otago stands before all the other provinces. The last census returns show, that Otago has 809 separate manufacturing and industrial establishments, as against 752 in Auckland, 707 in Wellington, and 648 in Canterbury. These 890 industries in Otago include: thirteen refrigerating works (out of forth for the colony), twelve becon curing establishments, thirteen fish curing works (out of twentyeight in the colony), forty-three butter and cheese factories (more than any other province but Taranaki), twenty-seven grain mills (the largest number in any single province), seven biscuit factories (again the largest total for any province), two jam factories, four confectionery works, fifteen breweries (which in 1900 produced 600,000 gallons more than the quantity turned out in Auckland or Canterbury, the only two provinces that approach Otago in this mdustry), seventeen aerated water factories two pickle factories and several soap and candle works. These figures show how extensively the natural products of the country are utilised in the industries of Otago. There are also seventy saw mills and sash and door factories (the largest number credited to any single province), five gasworks, five lime and cement works, twenty-five brick and pottery works (another New Zealand record), eleven tinware factories, fourteen iron and brass factories (Canterbury with fourteen being Otago's Only rival), eight engineering works, twelve agricultural implement factories (once more the largest total for the colony) forty-nine printing establishments (by far the largest total among the provinces—Wellington second with thirty-five) twenty coach building works, twenty-one cycle works, twenty saddle and harness factories, thirty-three tanneries (Canterbury next with twenty-nine), nine ship and boat building yards, seven sail and tent factories, thirty-two furniture factories (second to Wellington with thirty-six), eight clothing factories, two waterproof factories, seven hosiery factories thirty-five boot and shoe factories (Auckland second with thirty-one), four rope and twine works, sixteen flax mills, and four woollen mills. These last employ 900 hands and pay in wages alone £64,00 per annum. This fact by itself is sufficient proof of the success that marks most of Otago's great industrial undertakings.

Bull Greek Akatore.

Bull Greek Akatore.

The total number of hands employed in Otago industries is 11,802—8745 males, 3057 females. Here again Otago is considerably ahead of Auckland (10,457 employees), Wellington (8855), and Canterbury (9804). It is noticeable that the Otago industries afford occupation to a greater number of girls and women than are employed in any other province. The number are: Otago 3057, Canterbury 2754, Auckland, 2162, Wellington 2069. As a natural result of this industrial superiority, Otago distributes in wages a larger sum than any other province annually. For 1901 the figures were: males £733, 671, females £96,069. Canterbury paid £86,526 to women, but only £581, 271 to men; while Auckland paid £650, 727 to men, and £63,917 to women; and Wellington £60,790 to men, and £68,276 to women.

The value of industrial products turned out in Otage in 1900 was £3,749, 497, as against £4,701, 304 for Canterbury, £3,729, 587 Auckland, and £3,209, 740 for Wellington. The value of material thus converted was — for Otago £1,741,981, as against £2,172,803 for Canterbury, £1,752, 335 for Wellington £1,677, 692 for Auckland. The total value of land, buildings and machinery page 24 employed in manufacturing industries in Otago in 1900 was £1,862,858 made up as follows: Land £391, 022, buildings £644,610, machinery £827,226. This total is surpassed by the Auckland return—£2,145, 425; but is larger than that of the other two great provinces; Wellington £1,724, 288, Canterbury £1,489,096.

All these figures go to support the contention that Otago is one of the most active, prosperous, and successful districts in the colony. From the point of the view of the employee, the same conclusion may be drawn from a reference to the statistics for wages paid during the year 1901. Farm labourers got 15s to 25s per week with board, about the same rate as in Canterbury; while in Auckland, Taranaki, and Marlborough, where internal communication is less complete, wages ranged from 20s to 25s. Day wages for farm labourers in Otago were 5s to 6s, about the same as in Canterbury, while in the North Island where the demand for casual labour of this sort is harder to meet, the wages ranged from 6s in Hawke's Bay, to 8s in Taranaki. For ploughmen with board, the Otago rate was the rulling rate throughout the colony, 20s to 25s per week; though in Taranaki the range was wider—from 15s to 25s. Harvesters at 7s to 8s per day got less in Otago than in any other province; 8s to 10s being the ordinary level. But female farm servants were in great demand, for the Otago wages were 12s 6d to 20s per week, while the maximum in other provinces was 15s and the minimum 8s.

The market for pastoral labour does not seem to be so well supplied in Otago as in most of the other provinces. For shepherds the wages ran as high as £75 per annum with board, while the minimum of £50 was about the same as in Wellington, Taranaki and Canterbury, where the higher limit was generally £60 to £72. Station labourers got 15s to 25s, as against an average of 20s in most of the other previnces.

The Molyneux from Goat Hill, Horse Shoe Bend, Roxburgh.

The Molyneux from Goat Hill, Horse Shoe Bend, Roxburgh.

Artisan labour is on the whole highly paid in Otago. Masons' wages reached a higher figure there in 1901 than any-where else in the colony—the maximum of 13s 6d being approached only by Wellington page 25 with 12s 6d, while in Taranaki, Auckland, Nelson, and Canterbury the pay ranged from 9s to 11s. Plasterers from 10s to 12s were not quite so well off as the best paid workmen in Taranaki and Wellington, but bricklayers and carpenters in Otago at 10s to 12s 6d did far better than their fellow workmen throughout the North Island at 9s to 12s. Plumbers at 8s to 10s were up to the highest level recorded in the colony for the year; but painters got as low as 7s, while in all other provinces 8s was the lowest figure. Shoemakers got 8s to 10s, which is rather above the average for the colony; but watchmarkers were below the level of other centres with 7s to 9s 6d per day as against 8s to 12s in Auckland, 7s 6d to 10s in Wellington and as high as 12s in Canterbury.

It is noticeable that, generally speaking, a wider range of wages prevails in most forms of labour in Otago than elsewhere. This is due to the varied nature of the industries of the province, and the wide divergence between the modes of life in the coastal and country towns and on the goldfields. The gold districts from a distinct section of Otago in which, for obvious reasons, the conditions of life, and therefore the rates of wages, differ considerably from those ruling in the agricultural, pastoral, and commercial centres of population.

Under the head of servants there is a considerable difference between the average wages in the various provinces. Gardeners got higher wages in Otago than elsewhere—up to 30s per week with board; cooks with board ranged from 15s to 30s per week; general house servants from 10s to 15s—figures which show that Otago has her full share of the “hired girl” difficulty; while housemaids with 10s to 20s a week seem more in request in Otago than in any other part of the colony.

The “miscellaneous” class of wageearners includes a great variety of occupations. General labourers, at 5s to 8s per day, were paid at the same rate as in Auckland, but less than in Taranaki or Wellington. One of the most marked disparities between provincial rates of wages is to be observed in connection with seamen's wages. In Auckland the average is £5 to £6 per month with board, in Wellington £3 10 to £6 10s, in Canterbury £7, and in Otago £3 10s to £6. Tailors in Otago get from 35s to 60s per week, while in other parts of the colony their wages range up to 10s per day, and in Canterbury even rise to 80s per week. Tailoresses and female machinists and dressmakers seem generally to receive less in Otago than elsewhere—up to 30s a week. Shopmen's assistants in various trades are generally paid on the lowest scale in Otago; but compositors' wages are in a much better position—Auckland 40s to 55s per week, Wellington 40s to 60s, Canterbury 60s to 72s, Otago 40s to 60s, Canterbury 60s to 72s, Otago 40s to 60s. In general terms it may be said that the wide distribution of settlement and the easy means of internal communication, prevent any serious rise of wages in Otago above the level that prevails throughout most of the other provinces. But of course these remarks do not apply to the goldfields, especially in the less accessible parts of the country.