THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 548, 1 July 1909, Page 6

THE UNEMPLOYED.

HELPIHC THE WOSKLEBB. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY COUNCIL. » In' conversation with his Worship tho Mayor (Dr. Newman) yesterday, in refcrenoo to tho meeting to bo held in the Council Chambers on Friday mgbt to deal with tho unemployed problem, his Worship expressed tho -hope that citizens would rospond to ,tlio call by attending-the mooting, as tho matter to be dealt with was exceedingly urgent in view'-of the fact that-there; were two. and. a-half -months of -slack trado to bo gone through by the workless. .- _ . t During the past fow days, said. Dr. JNow- | man, a large number of fresh casos of distress i lias boon'brought under his notico. In a i number of instances it was found that m® ll . with ■ wives and - children dependent on thom wero-actually destitute.: Work must be provided for ; these unfortunates, or the_entire cost of keeping their families would devolve | on the rates. Thero was no alternative, as the men simply could not find .employmentThere were also" a large number of single men out qf work, who wore waiting for an tunity to go away to work provided by tho Government Labour Bureau, out as this work is boing first offered to - married men, many of the single men'have no means of support in the - meantime,, and their position is, extremely unhappy. . . ' - • " Asked, if ho had . anything to say 'in reply to tho recent, statement by the Minister for Labour, - to tho effect-that the Government was doing 'all it could in the matter, of assisting the unemployed, but / that the_City Council was not doing its fair share, Dr. NeWr man: replied that he. had read tho Minister s statement with some surprise; all the mpre so as for some time past the council h.nl had applications before the Government for permission proceed-with two works, both of whioh would give employment to a niiitiber of men if th«y oould bo proceeded with. Both works, howevor; were delayed' pending replies from the Government. Earlv in May, the council decided to- build a - shelter shed opposite the "Hotel Cecil, for :tie of passengers waiting ■ for. .trams, and -the Government was asked.;to give its permission for tho work 'and its approval of tho plans. This work: was still-hung up b'eca-nse, during all > thoso weeks, the Government had not replied to the council, Tho conncil was also prepared to go on with the Lyell 'Bay tramway, but the title to the road was-hung up somewhero in the Government offices. Dr. Newman stated . that only-that; moni'ing he had instructed, tho Town Glerk to write } to the Minister :in reference; to- this matter. The; delay- appeared to him . (Dr. Newman). to ,bo-jpurelv ono of .those delays' so familiar to the -public.. .It- was. known 'that- when anv matter-got into the Government ■ Buildings it always took, a-long time'for it-to come out again. „ , RELIEF WORKS; AT CHRISTCHURCH. THE ISSUE; OF UNDEK-RATE PERMITS. (By Telejraph.—Press Association.) Christchuroh, Juno 30. ■ The Mayor told twenty unemployed men today L.t-hat: nothing • further could be doine to provide work tall ,tho City: Council met again. - • Speaking to a reporter, the Mayor said that; many, residents,'.wiliila . give; gardening work, but they -feared tho consequenoes under tne Workers'-Compensation Act, and preferred to give the work to a contractor," who took all risks. ■: Mr. Dobson, oity • surveyor, says that most of tho men now on . relief work are wor-;h eight-shillings > day. The mon will bo ■ employed for a week, and will then give place to others; thus' employment will be given to a greater number of men. There are 211 men on the council's lists, and fiftywill bo employed every week; it will be four weeks before tho men first employed would go on. again. Fifteen men. are, expected to leave, tomorrow' morning for' the Midland Railway works, between Cass and.Bealey. The men will .be joined by a small party from Timaru, and about ten mon from Ashburton. Another party, ■ for bushfelling contracts ;ii) the North . Island, .is expected - to be dis-. patched.-to-'morrow evening, and if men are available other- parties will bo made up next week. i : The;; question has.''.arisen- regardjng tho effect. of the Industrial -: Conciliation Act Amendment. Act,-, of 1908, npon clauses-in the. awards "of the 'Court relating to tho issuo of under-rato permits. In many awards; it is provided, that, in the evont of the employer and . tho president and secretary of the ,union,> agreeing to the. issue of >a; permit .' applied ior, there should :be an -appeal to the chairman, of ;the concilia-, tion board; Section 1 65, of last year's Act,apparently over-rides, these clausos, and provides; that ;permits' may bp issued' by the Inspector of Awards., Mr: ,W. H; Hagger, tho local Inspector of Awards, issued sevoral permits. m accordance with this provision, but, von receiving instructions from the Labour Department that as Mr. W. Minson, Chairman of the Canterbury: Conciliation Board, has not resigned that he (Mr: Minson) is the proper person: to issue permits, - llr. Hagger has ceased ■:■' issuing them. Tbo term- for which Mr. Minson was appointed expires in about twenty-ono or twenty-two months. ■ ! Mr. Millar, Minister for - Labour, has expressed the' opinion that there >aro- no -chairmen of conciliation boards in existonco... ■ , ''■ THE UNEMPLOYED. < . (To THE EdITOK.) ! ' Sir,—-I understand that his Worship the Mayor proposes to'call a meeting , shortly to consider ttto question of relief works for tho Unemployed," andl trust that if this is the oase he will announce his proposals through the press, in order that the public may have an opportunity of-Vgiying same; consideration prior to tho meeting. If theso aro.of a reasonable nature, I feol - confident tho public will' rospond to an appeal on the present occasion, as they did on a previous one, when ■a/large, sum ;.was collected from, the citizens ; of this city by .the late Mr. Ross and tho 1-ato Mr. Galo. . T consider that .there are practically two classes'to bo -detilt with pn.the.present occasion. Firstly,- t/he worker strong and willing, who is thrown out of employment ■through.no fault of his own; and, secondly, i eho unfit. With respect to the first, the | City ,Council should at once start- some reproductive works; which would permit them to pay union rato of wages, hut employment ishould pnly bo given, to married men who have resided in this city for not leSs than six "months. /As to-the .funds'for the purpose, the City' Council must arrange with their ■bankers- for ;a; temporal . overdraft for' : a few. I months, and until a further loan'or loans are floated. With regard to :the second section—those unfit for; heavy work-'-for them reiief work at suoh rates as this dass can probably earn, say, 6s. to 6s. per.:day, .should bo provided. The funds for this pujpose would, I feel sure, 1 bo forthcoming from the citizens, and theso would,, no; doubt, be-subsidised by the Government. , In this, class, again, preference should be given to married men residents of tho'city, for, say, not less than three months, and it might-further be extended to a fow ■single men in special circumstances, but should not be given to outsiders.: By those means, no inducement would bo given; to the latter to flock to tho iity., Tho prosent temporary depression will not possibly pass away; before the end of September, but'after: that time there is every prospect of. ■ things improving and employment in all trades. being more plentiful.—l 1 am, etc.," .. • . - CITIZEN. • June 30. ... 1 [Tho meeting has been called by tho Mayor for to-morrow evening.]-- ..