DEPUTATION TO THE TRAMWAY BOARD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13467, 6 July 1909, Page 8

DEPUTATION TO THE TRAMWAY BOARD.

NO WORK'AVAILABLE MEANWHILE. A deputation from the Trades and Labour Council's Unemployed Committee, consisting of Mr A. D. Hart (president) and the Hon. J. Barr, waited! on the Tramway Board yesterday, urging that the Board put its new works in hand with the least possible delay. Mr Hart said relief works were not. asked for, but what was desired was that the works sanctioned' at the recent poll should- be put in hand as early as convenient in order to relievo the congested state of the labour market. Mr Barr said many men were out of work who had not forwarded their names to those who had the matter in hand. They shrank from having their names posted outside any public building, and would rather do anything than be published as unemployed. There were many men of that type out of employment who were well suited to the work to be carried out by th© Board. On the other hand, there were strong men in light employment who might leave their present positions for work under the Board, and so leave tho light work for those out of work and unable to take up the Board's work. At any rate if th© Board intimated that th© work would bo put in hand at an early date, it would give a hopeful ring to the present situation. The Chairman (Mr H. Pearce) said that the Board would only be too pleased' to put the work in hand within a week, but it had certain set lines to follow. The Board must have tho surveys and plans prepared and the work could not be started, at the earliest, under two months. The plans must lie on the table and be advertised for a month before the Order-in-Council could be granted. If there was any possibility of pushing th© work on the Board would be only too pleased to_ do so, in view of tho urgency of the 6itu-. ation.

After th© deputation bad withdrawn, the Chairman stated that there was a quantity of new material in stock, consisting of rails and sleeperS*, which could be utilised, but there were matters to be decided before the Board could touch th© roads. He did not think "-here was any possibility of the Ordor-in-Oouncil being available in under two months.

Mr Payling asked if there was any work by which six or twelve men might be put on in the meantime. The de-

putation was aware that it would be two months before the extension could be started; but he thought it might be possible to put on a few men in the same way as tbe City Council had done. Ho thought tho Board might do a little by finding employment for a few hands at least.

Mr Beaven pointed out that thc Board had spent £100 moro in maintenance last month than during tho corresponding period of tho previous year.

The Chairman said it was quite impossible to do anything with the __tension for two months. The engineer and the speaker had gone into the matter a week or two ago, and came to the conclusion that no extra men could be put on. Thero was one thing, however, the Board was short of metal. They might rent a section and get stono broken on it. But very few men oould make wages at the work, and the Board did not want to cut down wages.

Mr Sykes suid the Board was actually over-staffed at present.

Mr Staples said the old plan was to givo the men 3s per yard for stonebreaking. Some coul_ mako 10s a day and others 6s, and if two such men got together they could make 8e a day each. There was plenty of stone in the Waimakariri river bed. Thin could be taken to the Hare wood road and broken. The speaker pointed' out that several of the Board's own men had been temporarily put off, and these would be put on before outsiders. In answer to Mr Flesher, thp Chairman said tho work of electrifying tbe steam lines would be carried out by the Board's own gangs. Mr Sykes said buying hand-broken metal would not pay, as they could purchase machine-broken at 4s per yard at the bins. It was resolved to inform the deputation that tho Board regretted it could not do anything in th© direction requested in the meantime.