§ Mr. NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received information from Australian, sources as to the scarcity of labour in various parts of the Commonwealth; whether both manufacturers and contractors complain that they are hampered in completing or undertaking contracts for the reason mentioned; whether a Melbourne firm is asking permission to import riveters and blacksmiths on contract at 12s. a day for a day of eight hours; and, if so, whether he will take measures to notify the same through the medium of exchanges or other public bodies?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Buxton)My attention has been called to reports in the newspapers and elsewhere of a scarcity of labour in certain parts of Australia. An application was recently made to the Board of Trade Labour Exchanges by the representative of a Melbourne firm for a small number of specially qualified skilled tradesmen of classes similar to those referred to in the question, and steps were taken to notify these vacancies through the Labour Exchanges.