UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18917, 4 February 1927, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEPUTATION TO MAYOR. "KEEP CLEAR OF POLITICS." \t a. meeting of unemployed men vesterday morning, the Mayor (Mr'j. K. Archer) strongly advised them to keep clear of political issues in making fuel- appeals for relief of unemployment i. to have great care m selecting the right, tvpe of man to put their needs beforo tho authorities To set forward their case for immediate relief, a deputation of unemployed men waited upon Mr Archer, yesterday morning, and were received in the City Council Chambers. Mr IL Dunkley, for the unemployed men, said that what was required was some immediate relief to alleviate the hardship that a large number of men at present out of work and their families were suffering. Tho meeting on the previous afternoon had been well-mean-ing, but. the plans which they had discussed would not relievo tho situation tor some considerable period. He knew that there was no use m asking for work, there was not tho work to offer, but they did ask for some subsidy or relief through the Hospital Board. Th-j relief from tho Board had never been adequate as it had been in Auckland and Wellington. "What is 12s 6d worth of tucker to keep seven of us for a week?" ho asked. A grey-headed old man told how lie had g'ono in search of harvesting work, but ho was not physically strong enough for it. Men such as ho could not do heavy labouring, and he asked that somo lighter work be found for them to do.

Another man pre&ented some references to the Mayor and told him that he had been out of work 6ince May last. He hod a wife and three children. 'Ton couldn't havo better references than those," said Mr Archer. Mr Dunkley soid that only Al labourers were catered for in the matter of idief work, and that no provision was made for the man who had been used to indoor work all his life and Mas not fitted for heavy manual labour. This point had always been overlooked. Another member of tho deputation explained that they did not want to creat© a disturbance. They wished to approach the matter in a level-headed manner and to seek peaceably for a solution to the difficulty. Mayor's Boply. In reply, the Mayor said that it was a great mistake to mix the unemployment question with political questions. To do that would only split opinion and lose tho sympathy that was necessary. Ho strongly advised the men to select tho right typo of man to put their views before the authorities. "I am not going to mention any names," ho said, "but 1 think that sometimes your choice has not been a wiso one, and a prejudice has been created. I havo tremendous sympathy with tho unemployed, and I quite agree that something practical should • be done. It is a positive disgrace that there should be so much unemployment in a young country where there is so much to bo done."

The Mayor continued that the Benevolent Committee of the Hospital Board, of which he was a member, had decided, with the support of the Government, that able-bodied men who asked for relief should give in return a certain amount of work. This was only right. There was no limit of 12s 6d to the amount of relief that might bo given, and ho know of families which were drawing goods to the value of £2 a week. People who desired relief were required to go before the Board for a short examination, and tt was found that most men did not appear themselves but sent their wiTe*. This created a bad impression, as the committee wos apt to form the opinion that the man was shirking the issue.

The question of finding work for those who had been used to indoor work or those who were not able to do manual labour was a' rather difficult ono, as most of tho work provided was of a laborious type. However, there wns tree-planting in lißht, sandy soil, which was very light work and should hn suitable to theso people. He considered that there should be a great deal of work in the country and told tho men of the fields of grain he hod seen when he was coming back from Amberley by motor. He tnoughfc there would be plenty of work for unemployed men harvesting in this district. One of the deputation said that he and another had just returned from a cycle tour of this district looking for employment, and they had been able to find no work at all. In his concluding remarks, the Mayor reiterated his advice to the men to keep political questions out of the business. "The platform is the place for political differences," he said. Fewer Begistratlons. There wero fewer registrations at the Government Labour Bureau yesterday than on the previous day, a total of 15 having their names placed on the books for the day. These comprised 10 labourers, a carpenter, a painter, a tool-maker, an engine-driver, and a bootmaker. Jiine men were placed in private employment, and one was placed by the Department at the Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer. Two or three men have been sent to jobs, but have not put in an appearance.