ON AUCTION BLOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 167, 16 July 1924, Page 13

ON AUCTION BLOCK.

UN - MONSTRATE EMPL°YEDJ)Eihoitsands rDXE. .pISTRESSj^SYDXEY. --B, Our Own Corrcsponrtent.) ff SXBXEY. July 11. « problem of what to do xvith the who number thousands in WfTW worried the Government of SydEe Qnuth to such an extent in S «*Tmonth that they recently made £11100 to the Salvation Army, 8 them to give free meals to t° ,s ::.p d forced to sleep in the """V Under further pressure from DoBB p D '- the Government has now the ./j e tn open up several stretches of de f !t a COSt Of £50.000. in an effort Jlte employment for those who cann °\Mk S' the Labour Council sent .«M '•• iibic to the Brilish Pnm J e t" e ., iljiass meeting unemployed U S to cable you to furnish funds, i Innds of British migrants are dcsW. t this city. There is no local fand tbe position is desperate." The Safer has denied the correctness of ' tt Lt S the S ' uncm r> 1( » TC(I problem, which • T«illT of local interest only, has pro--55 some remarkable gatherings not Z least unique being one held in fcKe Place. Sydney last Tuesday, J*advertised by the following poster: Auction of Unemployed. "i, fine body of unemployed men, „ ma rried 'with families, will be (ifferedfor sale near the Stock Exchange at 12.3° P- m - "Dicsc willing workers, of all occupations, creeds and complexions, need a !j tt | c fattening only to make them highly efficient as employees in any capacity. jh e y are honest (one of the reasons why they are unemployed), law abiding, and some, at any rate, have proved their usefulness as defenders of tlie liberty and otter priceless privileges which they now enjoy, by volunteering to serve in the recent big war. ..... "Potts' Point residents will nnd special attraction among this excellent offering of human beings, numbering 130, tfhoform the first batch of many thousands to be offered later on." The auction was carried out in all Eerionsness by a clever speaker who is gaining a name for himself as a professional leader of the unemployed, and it is understood that, indirectly, two men were employed as a result. It was certainly a most unique method of drawing attention to tho unemployment that undoubtedly exists, though it, is not likely to occur again. Sir George Fuller was inclined, to deny tie existence of unemployment, but several newspapers conducted investigations in tbe Domain, where numbers of nm are forced to sleep out in the cold all night, and as a result of their campaigns, tie Government has taken action. It is a peculiar thing, but true, nevertheless, that more attention is paid the unemployed when an election is near, than at any other time. On this occasion, however, the need for intervention hy tte authorities was absolutely necessary, for men and women, and children, i too, were starving.