IN THE LEAN DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 560, 15 July 1909, Page 6

IN THE LEAN DAYS.

projected workß. a drive and a recreation ground - 'decisions op the general ■ COMMITTEE. A'meeting of tie General Committee of . tho Citizens* Unemployment Fund Committee was held last evening,, the Mayor (Dr. Newman) presiding, t. The chairman stated thai tho position was that the committee now had £717 in hand, which amount was raised to roughly £1430 with' the Government subsidy. As against this, the committee had to rpay out about £110 or £120 this week. Unfortunately, they had something like 400 names on their .: f books, i$ addition to the men employed. He had found in some quarteis that there was an objection to subscribing money for a work which many people held should be done by the Government. If the committee could find works elsewhere he was of opinion that I money'would be forthcoming, for instance, (, for tree-planting purposes. Several people had informed him that they would subscribe for a tree-planting scheme, but they insisted that tho money must be ear-marked for that purpose. Personally, he held that tho committee should seek these contributions, and he moved that any money handed over to the committee for tree-planting be set asido for this purpose alone. Councillor J. P. Luke seconded the motion, and speaking as chairman of the Committee of the City Council he.considered the tree-planting schome a most laudable one. " / The Hon. J. E. Jenkinßon brought forward the question of carrying out, the work of forming a road from Constable Street to Mount Victoria, and suggested that money might also be used for the purpose of treeplantingalong the road and beautifying the v drive. He would like to see, say, £250'0r £300 allocated for this work, which'would make one of the most attractive drives in the city. - v 1 Mr.- R. A.Wright, M.P., suggested that the City Council'might give a £/or £ subsidy to i - the tree-planting scheme, to which the Mayor I replied stating that he could not pledge the council which had already done a good deal. The motion wis carried. ' i • Councillor'Luko stated that the Reserves Committee of tho council liad had in mind the matter' of a road along the route suggested above, tho idea being, if money ,was > available, to form a 10ft. road along the top of the hill this year, also to plant the sides of tho road and erect seafa, 1 and later, when further funds wero, availablo, to widen tho Toad. Mr. Luke went on to outlino a ' " scheme for forming the mountain road, and slso forming a recreation ground at tho back of Moxham Avenue, Kilbirnio, both of which he urged would be supported by the public and the Government. Mr. R. C. Kirk pointed out that the Government subsidy only applied to the Victoria College works. Ihe Acting-Prime Minister had advised the committee that any further application for a subsidy would be treated on »' its merits. j . ' - - Mr. W. H. Morton, City Engineer, reI marked that although an 'unlimited amount of money could be spent on the College grounds and buildings, the work in hand would only cost about £700, The cost of tho ' 'food from Constable Street to Mount Victoria would 'be about £600.' • ' The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson considered that ' the ..committee might devote, some money to • improving the bank on the eastern boundary of the Victoria College ground. There was i also' an amount t of carpentering work that might be done. -C Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., outlined a scheme for building_ a now wing to tho College, which extension was greatly_ needed, but, the schome did not appear to meet with approval. Mr. 1 C. Watson, a representative of Victoria College, stated that the work under way was exactly what they wanted, although dthor -works were needed. Tho trimming of „ the bank and making it more sightly sugv*' gested by Mr. Jenkinson . was also much needed. He thought the College should ap-" peal to the public, , their fees being about half those of any other College in New Zealand, and wribitti v the,scope of any ambitious young man. The College had already got -- plans drawn for a "now wing,' the estimate being something like £3000. The College funds wero so earmarked that even if the committee supplied the labour for additional works the College could not supply tho material. ~ ' The chairman stated that whilst he was a friend of Victoria College, he felt that the subscriptions would come in better if either of works suggested by Councillor Luke was undertaken. i, - 'Mr. Noot also thought* the works suggested by Mr. Luko should go along in preference to the College extensions, which the 1 £? ve J£ m ? nt slloU M\ De urged to complete. The'lrades Councir.had discussed the Moxham Avenue and the Mount Victoria Road schemes and was in favour of them both They would utilise a vast'amount of labour profitably. Mr. Morton pointed out that if the Mount ivictpna Road "was commenced he could immediately start about 30 men. The reserve " at the-back of Moxham Avcnun had an advantage in that tho committee .could stop when their money 'camo to an end, and the council could start in and take the work up at any time. Tho committee could spend a couple of thousand pounds there very profitably. ' ' - 1 Councillor Luke 'moved that the money available after the Victoria College works are completed be expended in making a road - along the xop of the Town Belt from Constable Street to the Signal Station. This was parried. It was also decided that a i further -work to bo carried out if the. funds are forthcoming should be tho formation oi a recreation giound at tho rear of Moxham '< Avenue, Kdbirnie, and that the Government be asked to subsidise the work. On tho motion of Mr. Kirk, it was decided that the committee is prepared to set aside ; £100 towards the improvement of tho Wadesf town Road if the -City Council will, contn- - i bute £200. If this was dono another part} was prepared to donate £100. . ilt ,was resolved that a deputation should wait on the Acting-Prime Minister in re- , ference to the question of obtaining an ex : tension of the subsidy to further works. ;■ Tho Mayor urged that tho committee should spare no pains in tho direction of f gotting m subscriptions. If the money was J not provided the resolutions passed would < be of no use. Personally he had about £40 r more under promise. i Mr. Geo. Willis, secretary of tho commit,v tee, stated-1 hat he had still a'large number ' of cases ,unprovided for, including 150 mari. ried men with families dependent on them ■ 'Ho wished to know if he could givo any ol [ these men any hope of immediate employi ment. ' Mr. Morton stated in answer to a ques- ; tion that,ho could start 30 men on the Cont stable Street-Mount Victoria Road by Monr day, but he thought the committee should 1 make certain of tho Government subsidy first. , It was decided to authorise tho oxpendi- \ ' tude of £160 on tho Mount Victoria Road , in the meantime, and to start 30 men on I the work on Monday. A ballot will proI bably be held on .Saturday to select tho " workers. ' ' Tho committee expressed its thanks to S Mr. W. H. Morton, city engineer, and to ,' Mr. A. Patterson, of the City Council's ' engineering staff, for the assistance they had ' given ill connection with the College ground works. A vote of thanks was also passed to Mr. Geo. Nash for hi? efforts on behalt o, I the" Wadestown Road scheme. i ' PROGRESS OF THE RELIEF SCHEME. t Applications for work from the Relief Comi mitteo continue to reach Mr. Geo. Willis, > Georotary of the movement, tho total names received to date being 400. Tho Hospital Trustees, it is understood, have decided to allow the'committee to put in hand tho exr , cavation of its section opposite tho Victoria College ground, which wont will enable a few more men to be employed. Of tho last fifteen men who were balloted for on Monday, > and who were instructed to turn-to at the college yesterday morning, only 13 put in an appearance. Of tho two defaulters, ono could not keep the engagement because of ; family troubles, and the other had poisoned [ ono of his fingers.

ON THE WORKS. | THE GOOD MEN AND THE ".NOT-SO //'"." ;> ; good:" /Abont 35 men were engaged on the Victoria College' grounds yesterday, and pick and.shovel were, being plied with more or less /vigour/in the tisk of removing the two knobs of clay which flank the pathway which runs up the centre of the college ground. A line of rails has been laid from the head of the works ... ont through the western boundary of the college grounds, and then down tho road to tho west sido of the entrance' to the college, where the spoil is being tipped into-tho hollow:owned by the hospital trustees... As Bta'ted' yesterday, a: few of the men:, are navvies pure 1 and; simple, 'but -the majority have only a very slight acquaintance with the pick and shovel, and the result is an anxious time for tho superintendent of the'works, who from appearances yesterday morning found it v simpler to give a practical; demonstration of the way things should be done than to give verbal instructions.• The latter course pursued until St ,wasobvtious that tho simpler . course was to-shed the coat and swing the shovel and say, "Do that.'?/ After/tcwlay,; it is expected that the impression made on ...the clay banks will be more ■ striking..-.lt is anticipated that the wages-sheet at the college grounds will run into something like £70 per week, and that the present works will last for about seven, weeks. ....■ /...:' / A WORD BY HON. J. A. MILLAR. ■PROVIDING WORK AND WATCHING . ;.;.. /IMPOSTORS.'; ;.:. Referring : to' the question l of trade ■.and employment, the Hon. J. A. Millar remarked to a Dominion reporter yesterday that business men .would all admit that money was becoming more plentiful. /.Tie' savings bank returns showed that the deposits for-the June quarter exceeded .the' withdrawals by £84,000. 'For. the previous three-monthly period the'margin' in favour of deposits was only/about £20,000.// No ;doubt, /with; the approaching spring • weather,/ there/ would be a big turn of affairs for the better. Of 'the additional 700, men for whom the Government. had promised work, over- 450 had already been taken on. He' intended to 'in-, struct' the officers of the Labour Department throughout the.Dominion to advertise asking all country employers who .'required iien/tosend yin .at 'once all -as '.: to.! the nature .of-, the work^requircd: to ' be - done, whether it : -was/'to*, be done oh/day 'labour, weekly wages, or contract. was to see just.'how much work was.available in tho : country districts./ As .the'.replies came to: hand,;the Government .would ,do all"in its..power;to, supply■;the mem■' -Mr./Millar added:—" It has come-to my knowledge from' reliable sources : that numbers of men aro fe-| fusing work; available, and 'others'are/throw-: ing; up 'their, jobs)'' because -they ■'-.'.think'., they will'get .a 'chance of work; at ; the bush-felling,' at .which they : : anticipate/they 'would; make bigger.wages.'? :;/■; •-■• '." ■ : v ;; .", \ ■..; ' / ;■•■• /Va HARBOUR BOARD RESERVE. ■;■( ,-./ Mr. T,' M. Wilf ord, chairman- of .the Har-' bour Board, informed last -night's, meeting of .the. Unemployed Relief, Committee - that the board had found that it could carry out some.-tree-planting .work .at ;a reserve :near Karaka Bay, ,and if the "committee had any. men / versed, : in, tree culture /on' its' list'-. the. board would be.willing to employ them within a;. feff: : -days. Councillor Luke,.".chairman of the ' City , / /Reserves Committee, stated .that the council committee' wouldibe able to put a'.competent man at, the head of such'a work, >'•/'•'/■',-./•'-.• :/:://' /' /';/:/ /■'//v/AL'LEGED/ UNAUTHORISED :.; /////,//./.-.:>CANVASSERS. /' : /'/-;.\.. [:"' Speaking 'at -last- night's- meeting, of the Unemployed Relief Committee, Mr; It. A. Wright,/M.P., stated that,a' matter of grave importance:had been brought under his notice, and / although he' could not proite .hi 3. statement,'he/behoved it to be true, and he would give /voice to'.it. .The allegation was that unauthorised .canvassers for. the fund 1 /were, operating'in the city, and' he thought something should; be.'.'dorie to ;prevent such operations./ /On the 'suggestion : of' Mr.,': Wil-i ford, : .it;Was;,deoided'io;make'it'khow'n' that jthe canvassers are,'all• provided jwith..printed subscription /the; llarqe of -Mr: - Geo. Willi's!, hon./secretary ; '-bf the committee. •'. The. Relief Committee.* would be. glad to receive the loan of any picks, shovels; ete.y which'may nptrbe,in use by contractors. / ; -////:-;/v/;. .SUBSCRIPTIONS.;;:,/:/ ; '. : , ;The sum v of £610 had been banked to thb credit, of the Relief Committee up to yesterday afternoon, .and in;; addition to ■//this' amount the secretaryhas/£126/odd in hand; The latest subscriptions /are as under:—--

"THE DOMINION" LIST. ■ The subscriptions received by The Dominion to (late are:— > £ s. d. "Sympathiser" : 2 2 0 "Otaki" 10 0 "Anonymous" v. 5-0 0 "Organ-grinder's mite" - 6 Collected Mission to Seamen Concert 10 2 , Total' 1'.......:.:........"..'j£8 12' 8 At an informal meeting of the vostry of St. Peter's Church last night, it was decided to have a retiring collection taken up next Sunday at both morning and overling services in aid of tho' unemployed relief fund. It was resolved that tho money received should be specially ear-marked for tree-plant-ing, as being an object of general interest to the community, some members objecting to certain other projects that have been suggested. '

£ s. d. Ladies' Committee .' 41 18 1 Union Steam Ship Company 21 0 0 C. J. Crawford 10 0 0 H. .M. Hayward : 10 0 0 Royal Oak Hotel Staff 10 0 0 J. P. Firth 5 5 0 Warnock and Adkin 5 5 0 J. Duthie and Co., Ltd 5 5,0 T. M. Wilford '500 Lodge Hincmba, No. 122. 3 3 0 R. Fletcher and Co - 2 2 0 J.M.B. ...-. ,220 w.M :.....: 1 1 0