THE SURPLUS LABOUR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9289, 14 December 1895, Page 9

THE SURPLUS LABOUR.

REPLY FROM THE PREMIER.

His Worship the Mayor has received the following telegram from the Hon. the Premier, in answer to one sent on Thursday respecting the unemployed difficulty :-r "Your telegram re unemployed received. In respect to previous communications, I understood that the members for the district were also to advise. I am very much pained indeed to hear that some of tho men »re said to be starving. Surely in your official position, and with the precedent established in respect to relief works, the •ncal authorities of Christchurch, it the »t«etneut is correct, will not permit this reproach to exist for a day. I have forwarded your telegram to the Minister for Labour, and have asked him to communicate with the Labour Agent at Christchorch. I still adhere to the course which I suggested to the deputation at Christchurch at the beginning of the winter." A deputation of ihi unemployed Mhited »Pon his Worship the Mayor ac 2 p-ra. to receive the reply from the Premier, which read to thcni. The deputation thanked the Mayor for the trouble he had taken in the matter, and commented strongly upon U» fact of Messrs G. J. Smith and W. \\. Collins, M.K.R'a., not having signed the letter to the Premier, as, it was said, they bad promised to do. Two members of tbe deputation pointed out the circumstances thsy and their families were in owing to want of work.