OUT OF WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 161, 8 July 1909, Page 2

OUT OF WORK.

! Vv__l_N T G_o-J'S IJNEaiPLOYED. A lEXGTHY LIST. ~_ {Bj Tele.t_.p_i.—Press As.ocla.o_,.) WET-I_T\GTQy, Wednesday. Inquiries among the union secretaries show that there are at least 1087 unionists out of work in Wellington, but a complete statement of the unemployed would show more. The 1087 are made up of wharf labourers 500, seamen 200, carpenters 177, painters 55, drivers 4Q, cooks and waiters 50, compositors gO, letterpress machinists 20, plasterers lq, ancl grocers' assistants 10, A. meeting of women, convened hy the Mayoress, Mrs. Newman, was held today to form a women's committee to augment the citizens' unemployed fund. About 25 attended and set up a committee. The citizens' fund now totals about £200. The Government has decided to give £ 1 for £1 subsidy on the money spent in preparing Victoria College grounds for the buildings it is intended to erect there. DUNEDIN BUILDER'S TALE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ; DUNEDIN, Wednesday. The problem of unemployment is somewhat pronounced in connection with the building trade here. A mass meeting of those concerned will be held on Friday afternoon, all unemployed carpenters, labourers, plasterers, plumbers, painters, and bricklayers being asked to attend. Resolutions will be proposed asking the Minister for Labour, the City Council, the (Harbour Board, and other local bodies to put in hand as much work as they "can. The secretary of the local branch of the Carpenters and Joiners' Union estimates that there are about 500 men dependent on the building trade out of work. More money has been paid out of the benefit funds during the past week than in the previous two years. POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHUROH, Wednesday. Several men are still offering for North Island bushfelling contracts, but the officer in charge of the local office of the Labour Department has not received any instructions as to sending more men to the work. Mr. Barcy, of the Trades and Labour Council, states that he has had almost a continuous stream of callers to-day in search of work. The City Council authorities are still wondering why men for whom work is waiting do not put in an appearance and take it. At present 30 men are employed on municipal relief works, and there are vacancies for 20 more. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. , As an indication of the present state of the .labour market in this city the experience of the chairman of the Waltham School Committee may be cited. The committee decided to call for applications for the position of caretaker at a salary of £80 per annum, with free house and firing, and applicants were to apply to the chairman. The chairman hjis been having a lively time of it. In two days no fewer than 50 applicants have interviewed him, most of them being men between 30 and 35 years of age. One applicant was over 60, and there were two ladies who thought that thej- could discharge the duties appertaining to the position. The chairman has duly recorded the capabilities of applicants, excepting those of the two iadies, who were informed that they were not eligible. As the time for receiving applications does not expire till the 13th inst., the chairman is looking forward with no feeling of pleasure to the ordeal before him.

UNEMPLOYED MEETING AT NAPIER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NAPIER, Wednesday. A meeting of the unemployed in Napier was held this afternoon, and was attended bj' about a hundred men. Mr. W. J. McGrath, who was voted to the chair, said the unemployed difficulty in Napier was considerably worse than some persons were prepared to admit. The Acting-Premier had telegraphed that at present the Government could not do any more than it was doing. The representative of the Labour Department had received instructions to send five married men to Gisborne on the following day. It was resolved to request the Horough Cpuncil to render any assistance it could, and that those present were prepared, under the circumstances, to accept 1/ per hour conditionally on permits being granted by the Wellington branch of the General Labourers' Union. It was also decided to ask the Public Works Department to have the exteriors of the Government buildings painted, with the object of relieving unemployed painters. About 70 names of men out of work were enrolled, about half of whom are" married. A large proportion of comparatively recent arrivals are among the unemployed. The Borough Council to-night discussed the unemployed question, and instructed the borough overseer to take on a few men temporarily, preference to be given to those who are married.