THE UNEMPLOYED.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8867, 9 August 1894, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYED.

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting, convened bylw Wor>: ship the Mayor of Cbristchurch, to consider" the unemployed queatioh, was held at the Uchfield street Oddfellowtf HaU last night. The Mayor presided, and among those who were on the platform were the Mayors of Sydenham and Linwood, Cra, Gr»y, J. T. Smith, and E. Smith, Messrs B. Winter, C Burgess, & Mela tyre. J. Ballingar. and R. Mnfiett. The attendance was not very large, and was made .up chiefly of the unemployed, themselves. Apologies for absence were received for the Mayor of Stj Alb&us and Cra. Beawick and Cooper. 9 •The Chaibman regretted that he had/ been compelled to give so short a notice of the meeting, which was to consider the best means of affording relief to the unemployed. He read the petition from the unemployed who requested that the ineetiog should be called. There was no doubt,-he said, that there was a large body of men out of employment, ar titans, and mechanics, and labourers, and something was < required to relieve the distress which existed. Personally, he would say that he had, to the best of his ability, given assistance, and this attitude he should always endeavour to maintain. The people of Cnristchurch were not at all bad if they were approached in the right manner, and he regretted that the audience was not composed of the citizens who could afford to assist. It was made up of the working' men, and as they were wanting work it could not be expected that they could pnt their,hands into their own pockets to assist each other. (Applause.) He took occasion to thank the citizens who had already given monetary assistance, and especially the Addington Workshops employees, who had acted most handsomely. (Loud applause.) That assistance was necessary was evident, and if the citizens who could afford to did not assist the State would have to step in. He alluded to the correspondence which had passed between himself and the Government, from whom he had not beerf

able to get help, bat -if the ing could bring pressure to belt which would be successful he would be satisfied. He had a list of 175 men out of work, aged from seventeen years to seventyseven, and he wished something would be done to assist the deserving ones. As far as the City Council could that body would J relieve the older men. It was his opinion that those who could afford to employ a man or men should' do so, and those wm could afford to render monetary assistance he hoped would. He also mentioned that the Volunteers had offered to repeat their concert, and it was proposed to ask the Government to subsidise the proceeds. , Cr. Gray eaid it appeared to him that there were two ways* here to deal with the matter. If the local bodies would show more unanimity, and aeit were eweep before their own doors, great relief would be given. He took exception to the burden having been placed too heavily on the shoulders of the City Council. As far as his went he would do hie beet to get work found for the unemployed residing in Christchurch. Then if Sydenham, St. Albans, Linwood, and the road dietiicte around, ia the various places ot which the most of the working men lived/ were; tin take steps to relieve their own men, the responsibilities would be better divided. Then as to the Government, he thought it behoved them to do their share, and he hoped the Government would be induced to institute rs relief works, such works as were of a pressing nature. He 4 would move—" That this meeting, representing the unemployed of Christchurch and surrounding- districts, together with the representatives from the local bodies of those districts, press upon the Government the necessity of taking steps at once to provide work for the unemployed in the said districts."

The Mayor of Sydenham stated that last year that Borough spent over £100 ix» unemployed work, bub this year certain works to afford relief could not be arranged. It waa likely that some - assistance might be given when the recently gazetted recreation ground waa to be improved. He also observed that the Sydenham residents spent a great deal of their iqouey in Christchurch* and it whs' only right, that the- men should apply to the richer places or persons for assistance. He seconded the resolution', and hoped it would be carried. Mr C. 'Burgess (Chairman A Yon Road Beard) supported the resolution. He remarked that the Avon Road Board had hwt year done more than any other local body in assisting the unemployed. Thia year the Board would have spent "all the money it could if the Government would subsidise it. He received a reply from the Hon. W. Beeves that the matter would be placed before the Cabinet, but he had not yet- received any further communication.' He contended that the Government were; greatly to blame . for. the position, as had they attended to the question be they should do x the distress would not be nearly so gieat as it now was. If the Government

were ad anxious about the unemployed- as they were about their own supporters, about the increasing' of honorarium,, there would be a better state of things existing. If the' Government .were to subsidise each local body, say, £100 and the local bodies contributed a similar sum great relief would be afforded. Mr Wihteb was of opinion, as a demo* crat; that the first duty of any Government was to look after the welfare of its., people, and one way was to see that the people got enough employment to live upon. Much as the present Government had done,- it. appeared to him that it bad been remise in connection with' the present matter. He pointed out that the proposal to subsidise local bodies was a capital one, if it could'be carried out justly. Hβ was of opinion that local todies should try and find work for those the Government could not assist—the aged men, who could not work beside the able-bodied men. If this were done, and Government - found work for the able-bodied,

he was-convinced that the richer citizens

would freely assist.- While one present Bocial system was maintained there would be unemployed, end the difficulty would nob be solved until that eyetem was improved. > (Applause.) He - was quite in accord with the resolution. Mr Geo. MoIsTSfKE said it would be hopeless to rely upon local bodies to provide enough money to relieve their unemployed, unless they were assisted by subsidy. While not speaking it appeared to him. that subsidies could be found for lines of steamers, $c. (A Voice—And the Bank of New Zealand. Liughter), while men went about almost, ii not quite,' starving. He considered that a Government should, evenif it had to borrow to do so, find money to provide, not relief work, but work that was necessary in the various parts of the colony. Hβ hoped the Canterbury members would be asked to urge on the Government to provide, that work which he held the men were justly entitled to. (Applause). Mr Balliuqek, as a member of the Unemployed Committee, explained what had been done in respect of the aged men. He alleged that the City- Council had not done as much as it should have done, but one thing it had done was to accept Pastor Birch's ticket men and give them'work for bed'and breakfast. (Cries of "Shame.") Had he been a member of the Council he would have vetoed such action. It_wae disgraceful. Hβ further stated that the Unemployed Committee had previously approached the Council for a subsidy and the Conocil refused. Mr W. EsrsQM suggested that a course such as that followed by the Waimate County Council might be adopted to provide funds! It appeared to iilm that the aura of £200 voted by that Council was handed to the Charitable Aid Board, subsidised, and banded' back. - . AUnding- to what the City Council had done, he said that that body i had not been very generous. -_ He did nob think resolutions to the < Government would , have much effect; - ' ■ -

In answer to the last speaker, ■' The Chaibhan read a telegram from the Government, which .was to the effect that Government would subsidise contributions to the Charitable Aid Board, and that Board would then be ia a position to provide Mr FAKftOHABSps eaggeeted that the beet means to provide - foods would be for. the Government to pac a email tax oa property holders. He supported the resolution. "■ Cγ. J. TV Smith said darinsg this winter the City Council had spent £200 more than usual on wages, and it was probable that but for this expenditure the extra men 'taken on would be swelling the ranks of the unemployed. At the; same time he regretted Hurt the Cta»aU wmA sot cte better; Oea>

earning what should be done, he held that the TMople's representatives J should be urged to do whet was right to the people. Whet* there was a will, there was a way, lit the House wanted, ib could find money for less deserving owes than starving men and women* It could be extravagant; it could be reckleis. (Hear, hear.) Cr. MoFFETT (Sydeunara) also addressed the meeting, and pointed out what Sydenham had done last , year, besides enumerating many of the financial engagements that body had to meet.. He endorsed the motion. He mentioned work at the Sydenham Park and along the river bank as work which would probably assist to tide off the present difficulty. i The motion was oatried unanimously. * Mr Kelly moved—" That the various local bodies in New Zealand be requested •€% adopt a similar motion to the one carried at that meeting." Mr Farqohabson seconded the motion. A Citizen said it was a pity that no one { bad had the courage to say that the unemployed would set no assistance until the Budget proposals were accepted or rejected, j He suggested that the Government was willing, if any Government was, to assist the people--(A Voice : " Then why ' don't they ?')—and be would say that the Government had been vilified. (Cries of "No." Mr Wintbb pointed out that it would be absurd to ask men to starve while the fioancial proposals were under discussion. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Mr Molnttbe suggested that the Government be reepeettuUy requested to gtve its sanction to the Charitable Aid Board to carry put certain works through the agency o! the local bodies. Some discussion followed as to the powers of the Charitable Aid Board, and the best means to be adopted for disbursing any funds that might be raised for work. . The following motion was lost—" That £ Committee be formed of the representatives present to communicate with the Government and the local Charitable Aid Board with regard to the subsidy, and that the money be expended by the local bodies." 1 Oα the motion of Or. J. T. Smith, it was resolved—"That the Mayor be authorised Ito forward the first resolution to the. Government and the members for Canterbury in the House of Parliament." I Mr A. Joyce introduced a resolution asking . the Government to forward the Land for Settlements Bill, but he was ruled out of order, the subject being outside the business of the meeting. Mr Ballingkb moved, -and Mr seconded—" That the Government be urgently requested to subsidise the local 'bodies £ for £ to provide work for the, unemployed." The motion was carried, and the proceedings closed with votes of thanks to the Chairman and the representatives who had assisted at the meeting.