UNEMPLOYED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18922, 10 February 1927, Page 13

UNEMPLOYED.

DEMONSTRATION MAY BE MADE. DURING ROYAL VISIT. It was stated at a mass meeting of the Christchurch unemployed at Victoria square yesterday that a demonstration would i>e made in Cliristehureh during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York: that is, if work was not quickly forthcoming. Between ~~i and 100 men attended the meeting, and the speakers were Mr E. L. Hills, a new leader, and Mr 11. Dunkley. \ "The Government will probably offer us relief work when the Duke and Duchess are here, so that the riff-raft (you and I), will be taken out of the City," said Mr Hills. "If we eannot get employment in a reasonable time before the Duke and Duchess arrive, wo shall refuse it when they are here. The Government does not want a demonstration, but we will follow the example of Auckland and Wellington and make a demonstration, waiting iu a body on the Duke and Duchess."

The following motions were passed: (1) "We, the unemployed of Christchurch, call upon the organised workers of the Dominion to get behind the unemployed in their demands ti the Government for work at adequate rates of pay, or for the provision of adequate maintenance." (2) "That this meeting appoints two speakers to interview all secretaries and organisations of the Trades Hall to solicit support in a demand that tho Government ceases its immigration policy." Messrs K. L. Hills and H. Dunkley were appointed.

March to Chamber of Commerce. After -Messrs Dunkley and Hills had counselled tho meu to preserve order and avoid anything savouring of militarism, they proceeded in a body down Colombo street, across the Square and to the Chamber of Commerce, where they proposed to interview the secretary of the Chamber and put their case before him, asking that arrangements should be made for n deputation to wait on the next meeting of the Chamber. 51 -ssrs Hills, Dunkley, and F. Holloway visited the secretary's ofliee while the men grouped outside, and after a lengthy wait they announced that a deputation would be received at 2 p.m. When tho appointed time arrived about twenty men stood opposite the Chamber buildings, while the deputation interviewed Mr Climie, and nt the end of tho discussion they were joined by tho members of tho deputation. "We arc approaching you to see if tho Chamber of Commerce will hold a meeting to discuss unemployment right away," said Mr Dunkley to Mr Climie. He went on to say that the unemployed* considered that the position warranted big bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce taking up the discussion. "If you cannot solve the unemployment problem, you might be able to do something to ameliorate It," he said.

"We would also like to be allowed to'wait on the Chamber at its meeting," Mr Hills added. Mr Climie told the deputation that their representations would bo passed on to the president (Mr C. P. Agar), who would say whether the deputation would go before tho Chamber. But Mr Agar was away in the North Island at present, and ho would not be back for a few days. He could say, however, that the Chamber was sympathetic towards the unemployed and, to an extent, it had done its bit to assist. It had appealed to its membership to endeavour to find jobs for tho worklcss. "We would like the whole country's voice raised against immigration," Mr Hills stated. " .... "We would ask the Chamber to consider passing some resolution and raising its voice regarding it; there is no doubt that immigration has a great bearing on the present situation." He added, later, that he had boen in New Zealand six months from Sydney, and that while he had worked about as long as he had been unemployed, he was quite unable to get permanent employment. Casual work, now and then, was all he could obtain. Registrations. There were five applications for work at the Government Labour Bureau up to mid-day yesterday, thrco being from married men with six dependents. Men registered at the bureau as out of work numbered 263, compared with 229 last week, and 201 the week before that, a steady increase. The highest number of registrations has been about 300. Of the 262 over half are labourers. Following arc the normal occupations of the men who have registered during the week ended last night:— Labourers 148, drivers 16, painters 16, clerks 14, engineers 10, mechanics 10, carpenters 7, gardeners. 6, bakers 5, butchers 5, blacksmiths 4, storemen 4, bootmakers 3, electrical workers 3, farm hands 3, cooks 2, hotel workers 2, bricklayer 1, grocer's assistant 1, moulder 1, tinsmith 1.

The men wjll gather at the Government Labour Bureau between 0 and 10 o'clock again this morning, and another demonstration will be held at Victoria square at 10 a.m.-to-day. About a dozen employees were paid off during the nast few days at one uf the City's leading iron foundries. A printing establishment is also reported to be shortening hands.