OUT OF WORK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 567, 23 July 1909, Page 6

OUT OF WORK.

THE CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED. .BAD.EFFECTOF THREATS; •' (By Tajoffraph.—Press Association.)Chrlstchurch, July 22. The unemployed we're much in evidence this morning, a procession varying. in number at; different periods: from thirty, to sixtyor. seventy, parading the streets and seeking local members of Parliament in order to lay. before them their needs. Mr. Taylor, M.P., proved to bo most easily found and approached. .After seeing him, the crowd proceeded to the house of Mr. Davoy;'' M.F:, only to find that he was out. The Mayor was then visited,at-the City Council Chambers.

A deputation asked Mr. Taylor to approach the Government with : the. view of, finding employment for the worklcss. Mr. Taylor telegraphed to the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. James Carroll) urging him to have gilt in hand at one© the orection of tho now ustomhouso in this city, or to. subsidieo Summit Road ot some other work of utility. The Mayor's room was not largo enough to accommodato comfortably tho deputation. Mr. Kilgour, who acted as spokesman, asked that the council, should delay putting off men on the council's relief works until a reply had been received from tho Acting-Primo Minister to Mr. Taylor's telegram.' • Mr. Dobson, city surveyor, at the Mayor's request, explained that with tho exception of tho work at Linwood Cemetery all tho jobs authorised by tho Works Committee had'been finished. Six or oight men, whose week's work .expired to-day, would bo put off, •; and ho (Mr. .Dobson) could- not tnko on other men'.until • the committee decided on otbor work to bo done. ,

' Mr.' Kilgour thon asked that tho Mayor should convene a conforonco of ■local bers of Parliament to discuss the quostio'n of tho.'.' troduction of a Right to Work Bill in order-that the unemployed problem could thus, be permanently solved.. ... The Mayor pointed out that tho; question was.a political one,'and ho doubted Whether the council-would be prepared to take it-up., In further remarks Mr.. Kilgour said that unless relief of a permanent character, were forthcoming the unemployed might possibly do something rash;:' ' ; // ; •'The Mayor said that-on one. or twoprevious occasions Mr..' Kilgour. had made use .of : similar-threats. •'.;"'■ !

Mr'. Kilgour:.. It ; is not ; a threat. .... \ : - :The Mayor saidithat it was a covert;threat;; and what Mr., Kilgour said inside-wras mild, to what' was /Said outside/of a similar char-, actor.'.Such■language only created a'feeling of/resentment,, apd- made those;, who /would be'.willing to. assist 'the, w'orlcers, hesitate'to give 'them', relief;'. .'.-'. '•'.' .]''"■■''■' At the meeting' of, unemployed this afternoon, it was decided to hold,,a demonstration in the city-Wriiorrdw morning, so as.to, bring', their case more, forcibly -before the ./ ; '.',-' i '.': ': ''/ '.:' ' : ':.-'■'.' "The/sum of• £14 95.-, was lecoived'in' pri-' vate subscriptioris to-day tor the unemployed/

"CONSIDERABLY RELIEVED.^'/ ■ '■■'■: '"•''■'■..' '..,'.''Napier, -July ; 22.?:. ■■ The condition of .tho labour market /in Napier has been considerably relieved during the past .few days owing' to a number of men having been '-.found;- terhpofary/ employ raenty'.arid; fi'---th'er improvenjeht/is 'ex-;, pected ."with': the a .. ?nt of warmier" weather.' 1

;-;v':;';''^RELl» F: ; WpIRKS.v-.f- -.' ~'^;-;;.:';> ,Th£- amount ...pai.'. info /the 'bank''to'.tie' Relief-.Fund', ftp-.to y -jterday was JEl2'66 15s. 2d. Mr.'Geo. Nash, wh .j.iuaranteed to raise .£IOO towards the cost of ~ .proving the Wadestown Road on condition to the: Relief Committee contributed ,£IOO and the. City Council '.£2OO, handed Mr..Willis a' cheque for the ,£IOO yes-, terday morning.-' The city engineer's staff has completed : the. preliminary work on the road, and . the gang of unemplqyedn selected 1 last week was'.sent out. to start .'work'.yesterday; morning, -but the rain hampered' the work,at Wadestown, : as it did at the' Victoria College grounds, and on'the Constable Street-Mount Victoria' Road; •',•;'• .;,- :; ■_ •■;•■ ■*;:■:■/ The latest'subscription to hand is £l;1s. !fed. ! ,- per Mrs.' H. R. Richmond.'. ■' ■ .'.'"i':','"]-'.'- ■ HARBOUR BOARL WORKS. .In moving at the meeting of the Harbour Board yesterday the acceptance of a tender of, £35,610 ,7s. for construotdbn' of , a concrete sea-wall and ;culvert extensions at Waterloo. Quay' the chairman (Mr. T. ,M. Wilford, M.P.) said that the commencement of this work, of staging '.was 'already erected and the scaffolding begun, ;'meaht that out of a proposed expenditure of nearly £100,000, : works to cost. £49,600 had been pushed ahead with in the last few weeks. This showed.that the board was doing everything possible, with the aid of its engineer ,~ to'relieve,the present'unemployment. A letter, was reoeived-from the Painters' Union, suggesting, with the-same object, that .the- board should have soirie of its .• buildings painted;" The chairman said that the proposal had been, referred, .to the board's' engineer, -who. regretted . that, there Hvas no work at:present to.offer. ; ''. .• \ 'Fletcher thought that the board might be able, to-do something for the'purpose of .giving employment. ;.He believed that; in the past they had employed their casual-men: for this.work.', ' .....,'-.,.,.,.. t .'.■ :,,:■■_ .;,'/• : : The chairman: : Our engineer" has,,'recbm;mended* that it .is hot' 1 advisable' to 'do the work at present.;'. -\!<"." ';' ,-'-' ■.'Mr. Fletcher: Somoiof the buildings want, it-pretty badly.- - : '■ - .The,chairman said he would, risk the .engineer .to see if 'something could not' be done. .'.:;' '.■].'

Later on the board approved plans for. a sea-wall and-reclamation,at Miramar, and, tenders'will be' called 'for''this work when the,;approval of-''the Gbyernor-ih-Cduhcilhas been gained.' The - work.-i's expected. : to- cost about £51,000, 'and this amount' will- complete the expenditure,of £100,000 for .works which the board' resolved to ' put- .in hand to- relieve the;unemployed difficulty.'"'''";' /