OUT OF WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 136, 9 June 1909, Page 9

OUT OF WORK.

GOVERNMENT RELIEF MEASURES.

IMPORTANT KEW SCHEMES,

&l Teltirij*.—Parliamentary Btportw.)

WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Tie Government's efforts to keep down the unemployed army were described to a "Sew Zealand. Times" reporter last night by the Prime Minister, who was interviewed, mainly with the object of Ascertaining more about the interesting Ectieme referred to by Sir Joseph at the informal Parliament, under which civil servants who lose their positions through the reorganisation scheme will find new opportunities on the land. .Sir Joseph, as a preliminary, demonstrated that the Public Works and Roads Departments were employing an unprecedented number of men, while to relieve the position further the Government had pushed on the contract for the Auckland Post Office. It had proceeded with the ( foundations for the Wellington Post Office, and in various other ways had done as much as possible to help those seeking work, both in town and country. "I mention the foregoing to show that we have not been merely making public statements in. reference to the -works going on," remarked the (Premier, "but we -have been doing the practical part in various portions of the country. On«i's isympathies are naturally with those who are out of work, an 9 the Government is desirous of doing -what it can to meet the position. However, some unreasoning things have been said, and I am afraid not much consideration has been given to the practical work ■which the Government has done in connection with the matter." BUSH-FELLING FOR THE UNEMPLOYED. "The Government has decided to give further opportunities of work for the unemployed," continued Sir Joseph, "by providing bush-felling and clearing work for those desirous of obtaining it in different, parts of the Dominion. In the YVaimarino Ibock w e have 100,000 acres of bush land, and in the Kelson district we have unlimited areas of similar country. There are portions in both localities that require to be preservcu for milling purposes, but from information 1 have obtained I am well within the mark when I say that there are 30,000 acres of bush land which could be at once cleared in the Waimari'io block, and thus give a large amount of employment from June till November. This land, when cleared and burned, will be available for settlement purposes, so that those who are fit to do it can be put on this reproductive work without delay. One of the great difficulties experienced is the not unnatural desire of a number of unemployed to stay in the towns, and the real difficulty in my experience is to be found in the congestion of out-of-work men thus caused in the towns, a state of things availed of by a section of the public which is ever ready to exaggerate the position." CIVIL SERVANTS ON THE LAND. The Prime Minister was asked if he could give any details regarding the proposal to give retired public servants an opportunity of securing occupation on the land, and the question found him quite ready. "We have in all matters, I where the requirements of the people are. concerned, done our be=t to be ahead of the actual necessities of tho?e concerned." commented Sir Joseph, "and we have not waited to be told by our critics what we should do. Instructions have already been given to the Commissioners of Orown Lands in Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, and Kelson to select suitable blocks of good laud as near a centre of communication as possible, which can be set apart under what is known as the Lands Improvement and Native Land Acquisition Act 1894, which gives power to the Government +o set apart blocks of land specially for persons of the description of those public servants who, owing to the reorganisation of the service, are losing their positions. They will not require to go to the. ballot, but will be able to take up sections of from 150 to 200 acres of bush land. The Government ■will advance the cost of clearing, and also make advances for the erection of houses, fences, etc. Thus the men who take up their lands will be able to secure regular payments to support them, while clearing their own sections, and the whole of the advance is capitalised on a 5 per cent basis. Those who care to take up portions of the road work inside these settlements will be able to do so. By the time the public servants are ready to apply for this land the blocke will be available, and the season will be suitable for clearing, which can be carried on until early in December. An illustration of the working of a similar system, the village homestead special settlements, was quoted by Sit Joseph. At Ohakune and various other centres along the North Island Main Trunk line, about two hundred ex-em-ployees of the Public Works Department are engaged on their own sections. "So you see." concluded the Prime Minister, '"the Government is fully alive to the situation, and quite anxious to get as many people upon the land as is possible. It has been doing so all along, and by the courses I have indicated it will be seen that there is hope for numbers who. although they are losing one class of occupation, will find another which has the merit of ensuring to them a permanent home and a life under the healthiest of conditions. ■' THE CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. In response to a deputation that waited on the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. C. Allison) on"Sunday, to urge the putting in hand of relief works for the unemployed. Mr. Allison convened a meeting of the Works and General Water Supply Committees of the City Council, to discuss the matter. It wns decided to telegraph to the Prime Minister asking for ;i Government subsidy for relief work.- tri be undertaken by the Council. It wa> stated thnt if the subsidy was granted the Council couUl start one or two relief works.

A deputation waited on the combined committees, and presented a list containing the names of ISO persons who were stated to be out of work, 30 of them being recent arrivals in the Dominion.