WORKLESS WORKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 289, 6 December 1928, Page 16

WORKLESS WORKERS.

SUMMER-TIME CONDITIONS. LABOUR MEMBERS' QUESTIONS i:r-:i"tif:M ministkks ix kkply. (By Ti'li't-mpli.- rarliiinu-utai-y U.-porhr.) WKLI.INGTON, WVdiu^day. Tlioiiuli faced wifh a Mini a try destined in un mil of nflic,. in a few days, Labour juciiilxTs urgently questioned them re",'fl rdinir tin 1 uii(MM|iloymiMit situation whi'ii tins I f'> 11 -<• met to-day, and in every in-Kiiicu asked that the matter be den It wit ii <|uickly. J''ii>t mi tlie scene was Mr. O'Brien (Wr-i land 1, win) asked the Minister of I'ubliu Woiks if ho would raise the WfiL'fs of the relief workers in his disIrift to (lie .-taiiilanl rates paid in that liiift of till! coiliilry. He added that on uneinjiloyinent relief works were only yi-lting 4/ti to 7/0 per tiny, and, a? mi I y :i >hil!iiig pi-r cubic yard wan liciii" paid for excavation work, Iliis Wii-, iiiadripate piv, e\'eli for tlie lii'«.t men. It. was not a liviiifj wa»e, and. in fact, then; were returned soldiers v In) were practically t-tiirving. Mr. Speaker intervened to point out that tin , 1111 r» .-* t ioner was introducing ji i-f.'iiuient, nml this brought llie statclui'iit. t<> mi end. Mr. .Sullivan (Avon) asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact 111111 M'veral hundreds of men are out of M-nrk in (.. liristchiirch, involving themselves and their dependents in great distrt'B.s, he would, jiartii ularly in view of thi> approaching festive season, make' immurements for employing them without waiting for the cud ot' tho session? The Prime Minister's answer covered tin; !>eneral situation, lie said that he would be ploa«ed to make inquiries into the (.'liristcliiircli position, but things generally hud improved. The unt'lirployed registered last June totalled SIMM), while in October they were 2300 and at present JBOO. The number in Chrintchurch actually registered bein" 380. o Mr. Sullivan: This in the heart of summer! Another question relating to unemployment was asked by the Labour leader (Mr. H. E. Holland), who reminded the Minister of Public Works that some months ago the Koa Mine was closed, and the Blackball Company decided to dispense with one shift. This meant that 170 men were thrown on the market. A large number of miners was Ktill unemployed. Mr. Holland said he Jiad communicated with the Minister suggesting that these men could be employed on the Buller Gorge railway work. Would the Minister indicate what would bo done? Mr. Williams said he would like to have a little time to go into the matter l'or one thing he would not like to put theso additional men on without knowing what the effect would be on those already employed. Mr. Holland: Will the Minister make inquiries quickly? The Minister: Oh, (Laughter.)