UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 8

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF.

THE CITY'S CALL.

I . ; '■■ NEWS AND'NOTES/ ':'■"' "■ ■ Gradually the various schemes for the relief of tho unemployed'in the city aro being organised on a business footing. The subscriptions received from 1 various sources form wages funds from which moneys are paid out, for value' received. The cry, of '!We want workl" is not falling on deaf cars, and, as fast as the several sohemes can be organised! openings will.boiound for the workless, with, of course, preference, for those in most urgont necessity. The progress of the,excavation and.filliugin worits at Victoria College )ia3 been hindered by tho receut inclement, weather during tho latter part, of-the week, and- the ..first gang has not yet been able to complete their weed's work, and so earn their wages.. In. consideration of.,their special circumstances, however, the 'secretary of the Unemployed Relief; Committee on. Saturday paid out advances of 10s. per man to those who were taken on for. this. gang. . '.'

Another Ballot To-day. Another ballot, for which single men will ■also be eligible, -will, take place in the: base- ; ment.of the Town Hall to-day, for*the purpose, of selecting the second gang (of 45 men) for the .works 'at Victoria College, and also for a gang of 20 for the Wadestown, Road improvement works. In .-future, married and single men will stand on an equal-footing. Tiie. Executive Committee ot the Unemployed Relief Fund will meet - at, the. Town Hall at 3.p.m. to-day. Among.other, things, the Hon. J. E. Jeukinson's suggestion- tor the establishment of a cooking galley at Victoria College will; be considered. This will enable the men on the. .works' to "obtain a hot dinner at a nominal figure. : The idea, it is stated, has been carried'out very sue--cessfully on big contracts. The'cooking utensils will bo supplied by,?the' Government. ..','"'..:.". ; Woriiless Carpenters./; A Mr.. J. D. ■; Stobart, secretary ; - for the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners has in hand a scheme for the relief of unemployed members of th'at society, to bo provided 'by subscriptions raised among the employed-'membafs' of 'the' trade. The idea is to raise, a sum of' £250 : by. a special collection to be made on Saturday next; which sum it is hoped the.City-Coucnil will subsidise in l the usual way; Mr. Stobart is at present in' negotiation "with the Mayor (Dr: Newman) on the matter, and during the week will issue a circular manifesto to the trade, setting forth the details of: his scheme, and the arrangements made for the special collection which is to be carried.6ut''aniong the shop and job workers. , Every assistance is being lent to the movement by the various employers.' .'. '■- '. .."■'-■ ■'■■' <■

Tho Relief Fund. The latest subscriptions to the relief fond are:— Bookbinders' and Paper Rulers' Union ... ... , 10 10 0 S. Spragg ' 110 W. foblell lio The 6.P.0. snbsoription-lisfc, which is not yet: complete, has just about touched tho £50. mark. Mr. G. Nash is making satisfactory progress with his campaign for funds for tho Wadestown Bead works. Ho guaranteed £100, and so far has received tho following:—Mr. E. W. Lowe, £5; Mr. T. W. Young, £5; D. Anderson and Son, £3; Messrs. W. R. Morris, J. Hanratty, arid Dr, James, £1 Is. each.'

. The Churches and Home Mission stations' within the-Wellington Presbytery'ei district have been asked to' 'arrange for special collections to be taken 1 rip at an early' date for; donation to the relief fund.'. The Rev.'W; Shiref, clerk of the Presbytery,.. has issued a circular letter to the effect that the Presbytery recognises the existence" 1 of widespread' distress and recommends that collections bo' 1 talron nn ..•.. ..- ■, >\ ■, ..:,; : :, , .. U <:,'.:■ :;-'(«.. Very • suusiamai'support is Deing given to the-fund, by the .'city, churches.' .'•Ai' i, tbe Terrace, Congregational Church yesterday: - - it was.4nnouhced;that'ja.suin?ef;!£2o!was'bwiiig' donaiied by the'Church;-largely as.the'resulfr of the special collection,'• while £3 10s. :7d. was .raised •by the>teachers-;arid scholars -of the Sunday School., ; The special- efforts made by the Taranaki Street -Wesley Church:resulted -in £17 10s.; being raised.- ; , 'At-, St. Peter's. yesterday,': special retiring collections were taken ;up on .behalf of the Tree Planiuig.Fund, the total amount being •■£l4'l6s>,;-:'_.'.'_ ,■:.-:;.■».,■;■<:;. ■■■■:.■■ '?"V- ■ <

-At St. John's Church,.the special retiring collections taken in f the morning and..afternoon for the Unemployed Fund realised £63 3s; 3d. As/those collections .were not intimated until after the previous Sunday, aproportion of the worshippers .were, not expecting them,/and further contributions have still to como in; \ The ordinary collection for church purposes totalled £20. ■

THE REV. MOTHER AUBERT'S ;VIEWS. Noho in Wellington know more about the conditions of the poor and the distress that is being experienced at.present in the homes, of many of the working people now partially or wholly unemployed than'the Rev.; Mother; Mary. Joseph Aubort.': She 'speaks iwith.'.a' life-' long experience. .'- ~;'•' '.. ■".;■■ ..'■ • ■ 'u am very angry. s with-the unions," said the Rev/ Mother to a :PbsiimoN representative.. "As I go, about,, I meet iwith plenty of cases where the: men ..are prevented from earning a few shillings; because their 'union will not allow them to accept; wages under the award rate; This is not right at' times ; like this, when there is so much, genuine dis-, tress—ihow much, few know,. I also hear the same from those who come to the soupkitchen—they could earn'money, a little here and there if it wei'elnot for the. unions.

"I think there arc some who would put themselves out of the way to make work so. as to relieve the unemployed, .did not the unions insist on the full wages being paid." "I think,";;continued tho Rev. Jflotlier, "that in certain cases the uniods., should, relax, and allow\members permission to work undor-rate on what oouJd'really : be considerai relief works."' ■"•'.-.■;' ". \ '..-•'..

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES. : "NOT' FQR : MUNICIPAL: WORKS.". :' .(By Telegraph.—Frew AssoeiationJ ■ Chrlstchuroh, July 17. This morning the Mayor received ■: the fol-lowing-message from .the Hon.' J. .Carroll; Acting-Prime Minister, in reply to an in-quiry-relative to the granting of Govern-' ment subsidies on relief funds; raised for the unemployed:—"Government not • contributing to any' munioipal work either in Wellington or elsewhere. Private subscriptions subsidised: only where expenditure on national work approved.",'.'■"' ' ,; There are many indications that the present; congested condition of labour must be speedily relieved. Anumber of private employers are coming forward offering casual work, and the off era ; are " being readily accepted: The Christcharch. HospSal/-Board yesterday signed a contract for the erection of buildings at a cost of £13,000, and-as the foundations will -be put in hand immediately a good deal of labour will be absorbed. Many other building contracts are lot, 'and it seems that the long lane has reached a-turn-ing for the majority of the unemployed.

SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN AUCKLAND. . (By Telegraph.—Press .Association.) V Auckland, July 18.' During the past wccli; ; 223 uneinployed have .rogistored their names at; the Auckland office of the Labour Department, 75' being married men. (with 260 persons dependent upon them), and, 148 being single. Tlio number is smaller than; during some previous weeks, when as many as 300 signed.the book/ During, the last-week, 37; applicants wero sent to' work .by the Department,. 20 being dispatched to;, the Gisborne railway works, whilst 17 were sent, tp, private ; employment.