UNEMPLOYMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 7

UNEMPLOYMENT.

REMARKS BY THE PRIME MINISTER. THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION. NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPERITY. 11l the course of his speech at the political social to Mr. W. M'Lean last night, Sir roseph Ward referred to tho unemployment' reported, from different parts ,of the Dominion. Tho Prime Minister said there seemed to , be an opinion in some quarters that people from older countries, where there was a groat 3eal of unemployment,, only had to come along to our doors and we would give them work to keep them going. He wished to. say that.;we were determined to assist our awn" people first by legitimate means, but lie would ask them to realise that ; the Government ought not to be called upon to take up all these people from overseas. Let tho statesmen in their own countries look after them. In regard to the unemployed in this country, lie would state that the .Government had a large amount of work in different parts of. the country, where men could be sent to employment. The' Labour Bureaux were also. prepared, to send men to private employment, .and they would/ help legitimately those who were iii distress. The stigma • that . New Zealand ivas passing through serious times was hot deserved. New Zealand was prosperous; (Applause.) He wished to reaffirm this." He was not foolish' enough,' and he supposed nobody was stupid enough, to helieve that there would be no fluctuations in the prices of our staple products, 1 or that no 'troubles would be suffered by individuals. If we /had got over • that .sort of'thing, wo should have reached the millennium. Though there had been a drop in prices, lie would have them recogniso that.we could not liare 2200 new settlers going upon our lands in the last few months' without an increase of our exports following, and this would bring back to the people on the land, and to,- the business people, a large excess from" the purchasers of those exports.. The .benefit would spread .throughout the community. • We were a producing people, and the world required our products to eat and to wear. We . had nothing to fear so long as,the, old traditions of courage grit, and determination to overcome obstacles were maintained among" us.'.' (Applause.) , Y ..... CANTERBURY LABOUR MARKET. " THE. POSITION AT CHRISTCHURCH. . ,(by telegraph—riiiss association.) Christchurch, July 20. The fine weather experienced to-day resulted in "the resumption of'work oil the buildings' in course of erection in'tho city and suburbs, and consequently many general labourers who have been out of work during the spell of wet weather rbsumed. work today. _ .At .-.any, rate, the Labour Bureau was I not rushed to-day with applicants for work on the Midland Railway line. Up to this afternoon, eight men had signified their intention of accepting work on the railway works.-'.; In all, . fifteen po.rsons, including applicants who were not general- labourers, applied for work at the bureau. , ; At .tho meeting of the City Council tonight' it was resolved to grant £200 for the purpose of relieving the unemployed difficulty,;', and to' request the Government to grant a £ for £ subsidy on that-sum. (Br TELEGRAM.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) • ' Christchurch, July 20., Therp is every reason to believe that tho present 1 unemployed • difficulty is being worked for political -purposes'for rather more than it- is worth'. The Socialist party aro taking an interest in it, and ; are using it. as a'stick with which to' beat the . Government. Tho ' secretary of the General Union, speaking at tho unemployed mooting on Saturday afternoon, said ho'had received; verj many letters from unemployed members;of the Union. - Tho employment book, however (for the Union's award- gives its members preference), only showed ten names on Saturday morning, -and'.though it is said' that a list of 165 uncmplpyed is to bo given 'in to tho City ■Council to-night, only fifteen men applied for work 1 to-day at the Labour Bureau. Tho wet .weather is largely the reason for tho • small demand for'labour, ior'it has stopped all public and private outside work, and many men have in consequence come in from tho country. A spell of fine weather would pro-.' bably enable every one to find work. _ ■ A representative of tho " Press" interviewed Mr. tho; local;-inspec-tor of factories, with reference to the state of the; labour market, as it affects .'general labourers." -. >Mr. Hagger_ stated that recently •there.-bad been a incroa-se in the" number of applicants:for.work at tho local lab-, our hureaii, but many of tho applicants had work they could go to as soon as tho weather becamo fino. Ho thought that, perhaps, 70 "per cent, of the general labourers at present out of work word- only waiting for- better 'weather to go to jobs that Were open for tliem. Asked regarding what work was available, .'Sir. Haggcr said that for sonio time 'past a' number of men had been wanted on tho-Midland Railway works beyond Broken River, but, owing to the snow and wet/ weatlier interfering with operations, they had not been sent forward. Ho had now been i ! notified' that the weather conditions are such . that work can be gone on with, consequently lie believed that there was work availabjo for - any' bona fido. worker able.and' willing' to;: 'work who applied at the labour bureau in,tho „ ordinary way/ . Although not prepared ..to ■, givo definite information. as to the- amount earned by' men on the railway works, ho said that it was fair to assumo that tho men at present on the.work's .earning a fair amount, oth'erwiso they would not remain on them. UNEMPLOYED AT TIMAR-U. - / ... Titnaru, July. 20. f": At a largely-attended meeting of unemployed held on the wharf this morning the following resolution was carried unanimously: —" That this: mooting .protests against the 'action-of tlio Government in jdlunng immigrants to New Zealand under false pretonccs, and in oxpending public money -to welcbmo tho American Fleet." ■ ■ It was said by tho,speaker who addressed the meetiug that the Government would do * better to spend tho money it has on useful work to benefit the Dominion, and givo work .to the unemployed. , ' After , tho meeting, ~ two. hundred men marchcd through tho town t-o tho 01 s office and asked him to forward tho abovo .resolution to tho Premier. The Mayor (Mr. Craigie) promised to do so. Tho deputation , thanked bim and retired. In'forwarding the' resolution, tho Mayor added that tho deputation, consisted of two hundred respectable men, genuinely seeking work.