UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19104, 13 September 1927, Page 11

UNEMPLOYMENT.

FUNDS RUNNING SHORT. DISCUSSION BY THE COMMITTEE It was suggested at yesterday s meeting of the Citizens' Unemployment Committee that, as funds were becoming low, instead o£ 100 men being employed on relief works this week the number should be reduced to 50. In the discussion which followed some members said that the unemployment position was improving and others expressed the opinion that the reverse was the case. It was decided to employ 100 men. Mr J \Y. Bean!and, for the Wonvs Committee, reported that the Committee was more than pleased with Uo wav the relief money had been spent The river hanks were looking won and the work was now complete as far as work or a proatabto nature was concerned, he said, i' cleaning of Bealey avenue had yet to be. earned out, and, if funds l*™ 1 the work could continue on to tiwgerald avenue. , M- E H. Andrews said that there was £I7OO-in hand. The reduction o the- employment to 50 men won Kl absorb only £2OO a week There were further subsidies that could be claimed and there was hardly any need to be so drastic yet. ,• Mr H Won.ill said that he was disappointed at the pessimistic tone rceardin" the finance. The position dui not warrant the Committee sitting down without making a turthei appeal to the public and telli H, them what the situation was, ho saiu. There was no legitimate reason for the drastic cut in the number of men employed. There was £IBOO still u hand and some further amounts to come. If a further appeal were made it would be responded to gladly oy the public. In Mr Queree's report it was shown that the number of un-employed-had increased this week tie moved that 100 men should bo put on this week, and that a genera appeal for financial assistance made to the public and that the question ot the'reduction bo considered at tho next meeting. ... The Mayor said that the Committee was .retting to the end of its. resources and to the end of the loan money, ana unemployment did not seem to bo decreasing. "Wo should point out.to the citizens that we want more money, and to the men that, at this time ot the year, there should he openings lor them apart from relief work." , . Mr W. H. Winsor said that things were brightening. They had the future to consider and that must not be torgotten. More than £6OOO had been raised bv voluntary contributions and £14,000 'had .been raised by the Committee's efforts. The citizens could not be appealed to again. It was better to get the money through the City. Council, in order that all might contribute. , "It would be a mistake to kill the goose -that lays the golden ■ eggs, said Mr W. E. Leadley. -"lhe public have responded magnificently, and if we go on appealing in the .summer as well as in the winter, people will be getting heartily sick of unemployCanon J. F. Coursoy said that there was as much unemployment at present as there was three months ago. lhe public were becoming suspicious on account of the wasters who sometimes were given work. Until the funds were exhausted no further appeal should be made. "We are not nearly as bankrupt as we thought at the beginning of.' this meeting," said the speaker, who suggested that the second part of Mr Worrall's motion be deferred. Mr Drayton said that they _ should let-the public know the position regarding the £25.000 loan before making another appeal. The Mayor said that he would undertake to get a certificated report on how much of the loan would be spent, and the balance remaining, to present to the next meeting. Mr Worrall agreed to hold the sec r ond part of his motion over until the nest meeting. CITIZENS' COMMITTEE. YESTERDAY'S MEETING. The Citizens' Unemployment Committee met yesterday afternoon, the Mayor, Mr J. K. Archer, presiding. The financial statement showed ) contributions to date, £0122 17s 6d; subsidy by City Council, £2004 14s 2d; subsidy received from the Government £4370 8s 3d, making a total of £l2yflM 19s lid. Payments were: By the Citizens' Unemplovment Fund, £7164 Is lOd; by the City Council, out of tliQ Government subsidy,' £3741 19s Id, leaving a balance of £1587 19s. A fur r ther subsidy claimed on wages paid out of voluntary contributions • amounted to £929 lis 7d, bringing the total to £2517 10s 7d. ' _ ... The instructions to the Public Works Department were that the City Council would have to spend-the amount of the subsiudy. £929 lis 7d, before it would be paid over, ran the statement. The amount available for pavment in wages, including the subsidy of £929 lis 7d, was £1999 9s 9d, and for payment of depot relief accounts. £5lB Os lOd. making the total £2517 10s 7d. Mr E G. Queree reported that the total number of men on the unemployed register was 392. The number last week was 354, an increase of 38. These comprised 272 men with 790 depend- ' ents, and 120 men without dependents. During the week, work was found for 96 men, including those selected for relief works. The number at present working on relief works was 157. disposed of as follows:-Under Mr Galbraith : Grant's road 4, Andover street 6, Tennyson street 12, Petrie street 3, Carnarvon street 2, Slater street 14, Banks avenue 23, Rose street 32, painting bridges 10; under Mr Young: Reserves 50, Spreydon School I; City Council on loan works 62, water works 144. and. casuals 13. Mr A. F Drayton reported that the Finance Committee recommended that the sum of £2OO be retained to meet contingencies until the committee could be sure that no further accounts would be received. Mrs A. E. Herbert reported that the Relief Depot could now remain open for only two days a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays, as the number of callers had dronpel The amount received during the week was £ls 7s 4d. and the total received to date was £1062 6s 7d. The same premises will be used. YESTERDAY'S REGISTRATIONS. Thirty men registered for work at the Government Unemployment Bureau yesterday. Of these, 23 were married men and seven sinale. Yesterday four men were placed in private employment, and to-day 18 will go to forestry work at Balmoral. CLOSING RELIEF DEPOT. In future, the Citizens' Relief Depot, Armagh street, will be carried on in a smaller way. On Saturday evening, at the Esses Home, Mr and Mrs A. E. Herbert entertained all those who had been associated with the work of the depot at a social gathering. On behalf of the City Council and" the citizens of Christehurch, the Mayor, Mr J. K. Archer, thanked Mrs Herbert and the ladies associated with her, for the social service they had rendered. Later in the evening" several presentations were made. ,