WORK WANTED.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLI, Issue 1, 10 July 1914, Page 5

WORK WANTED.

IN BALCLUTHA. The Balclutha Borough Council at a special meeting-on Wednesday night received a petition signed by eight workers at the Finegand Freezing Works asking that the council use its endeavours to get them employment in Balclutha. The petition stated that the works were announced to close down on the 11th (to-morrow), and the signatories, most of whom were married men, would be out of employment. They had heard that the Public Works Department would be employing labour in building a tramway and sending gravel from the river bank to railway construction works, and they asked that the borough council request the Department to give the first chance of employment to local men.

Messrs W. Hughes and R. S. Braitliwaite, whose names were appended to the petition, appeared in support of it. They said' there were other married men with their families in Balclutha at the freezing works whose names were not in the petition, and who would be thrown out of work when the freezer closed down.

Councillor Wilkins: We ought to support that petition. Councillor Fleming said that there had been nothing definite arranged yet about the Public Works or Railway Departments taking gravel pumped up by the River Board, but both departments were negotiating with the board, and it was pretty certain that the gravel would be taken.

The Mayor said it was only right to support the petitioners. He had accidentally heard that there was going to be some big works done in the local railway yard, and with the ballast for the Public Works there should be a good demand for employment locally. The petitioners should get the names of other men at the freezing works who would be out of work added to those already signed, and send it to the council, who would in turn forward copies to the Public Works and Railways Departments, with recommendations that the men whose names were appended be given first chance of employment. No doubt the council's suggestions would have some weight with the departments. Messrs Hughes and Braithwaite agreed to do this, and after thanking the council they withdrew.

We understand that the Public Works Department has called tenders for filling 5000 yards of ballast at Balclutha into trucks.