UNEMPLOYED.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19201, 6 January 1928, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED.

NUMBERS INCREASING.

HOSPITAL BOARD GRANTS EXTRA ASSISTANCE.

The large total of workless men who applied for employment yesterday at the office oi the Labour Department indicates that a depression has followed the holidays. Forty registered, the number of married men being '27. No work was found for any of them.

Yesterday morning about 60 men attended a meeting in Victoria square, and subsequently most of those presentproceeded to the City Council offices to wait on the Deputy-Mayor, Cr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., whom it was proposed to ask to lay the position of the unemployed before the Government. Cr. Sullivan was not present, but he undertook to meet the men's leaders at noon today.

Carpenters Hard Hit. In the course of an interview yesterday, Mr E. C. Sutcliffe, secretary of tho Canterbury Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, said that 28 carpenters had registered as unemployed with him during the day. According to his estimate there were now nearly 60 unemployed carpenters and joiners in Christchurch. Mr Sutcliffe said his union had been disappointed at the action of the City Council in granting the J. C. Williamson proprietary an extension of the provisional license for the Theatre Eoyal until June without any obligation to effect alterations. If the Council had exercised its powers the work would have been put in- hand and would have absorbed a good deal of labour.

Hospital Board Approached. Protesting that the 12s 6d a day allowed by the Hospital Board was insufficient, a deputation from tho meeting in the morning waited on tho Benevolent Committee of the Hospital Board yesterdey afternoon. About 40 men attended, Mr J. Pierson being the spokesman. During the proceedings one of the men (Mr H. F. Holloway) strongly criticised Mrs A. E. Herbert. "I should like to see you in tho position of my wife—starving." he said. Mr Holloway was asked to leave the room, and complied. Mr Piergon said they had a suggestion to place before tho committee — they desired an increase in the grant, which was considered insufficient. When a man was out of work, he lost condition, as he did not have tho money to buy proper food. All those present had been in the country looking for work. Whercvor they went thoy met others on the same quest as themselves. "It is harder looking for work than working," he added. Mite.Herbert: It has been stated that theihen have to work before receiving the food. That is not correct. The food is given first, after whicli some of the men don't work for it. Ton of the men who have applied to-day have not yet done their Work. Mr Pierson: A letter should be written to the Government—it is a national question. If the Government is fair it will help us.

"Beyond Us." . Mrs Herbert: It is beyond us, as a committee, to deal with. A suggestion from one of the committee members was that tho men band together, and approach the Government, asking it to inaugurate some scheme. They knew that 12s 6d was not enough. The matter was growing to such an extent that they did not know what to do. Mr Pierson then thanked the committee for receiving the deputation.

"We don't want to seo men going without food," said Mrs Herbert. "The committee is sorry it cannot find work for the men, realising that they do not come asking for assistance unnecessarily." Mr A. T. Smith stated that he would like the men to know that his sympathies were with them. He had been a member of the committee for. eight years, afld during that titfte he had fellcountered several wasters. "Play the game—-do your- best —aid you will find that everyone will be with you," he added. "It is tlie Wasters Who put people against you." At a subsequent meeting of the Benevolent Committee it was decided to increase tho allowance to all Unemployed applicants for assistance.