THE RIGHT-TO-WORK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 8

THE RIGHT-TO-WORK.

GOyERk ME NT HAS NOf EN 0U G H MO NE Y ; : "SEEK. PRIVATE ;EMPLOYMENT.'',,;.. What was'.described as -a* email section',o the waited upon. the Hon. J. A Miliary Minister for Labour, .yesterday. Then wore: also ,prosent:' : Mr. Massey,' Leader .of tin Opposition, who had . been:specially invited t< attend by the deputation, and, in addition, th< various city members were in .''attendance./. ■ Mr. -I'isher,/in intrbduciiig the deputation said-.its members were, übb to work and willinf to .'.'work,. .arid ■ believed they. had .the. right t< work: . Host of. them wereJin necessitous, cir dumstances,-. having- ; ho -rraources except -theii labour. They .wished, to know if the': Govern ment. could :\. ; !": '•■■■■ ' '■■ ;.';.:'••:;_- Position' ,of-..the', ■>/ ■ ■.On: behalKof the', deputation, one of its- mem bers stated that.they had not come as.agitators ior;three weeks they,had been going, daily ti xoutd notvobtaii work of- any/kiud.i-Not; only -himself,, but eom< of ■ the'-LothervJiad..been: reduced to their. las Po?lny i . to no worl seemed to. be ithat. they, would:'starve,'hnt thei had no,intention .of • doing .that.. ~ TKoy weri unable _' to see why .'.work"should not U- pro vided for, them.'. : He (the 'speijkerj.'.hacl b'eei liore'for two ■ years, ' but,'.'had: been', unable ti save; eriough: money to send ;for 'bisl'wife. ; Taking .all things into '.consideration', i fhings ; won no-batter.'here, than, at Honio. s . ' . ■ ;: According.,to another' .of '.the.. deputatiomst: it, was .quite, useless; ito. continue','to apply fo worfc'tor the'Labour /Department.:" Only t'n ,p l e ?Tlc{ ar i: 11 .e.-.head'.of- ,the. bureau ha< stated:.that ,he .was powerless in .the. matter Af (er.iaving been strung on" for'three weeki they, had found., that work: could.' not. bo ox peoted; for;anpther,,raqnth..v There'were a ven large,-number', out■'ot.employment '...: '. . ' c Minister: The.Department states thn tbe.Bumber-.of unemployed .in .Wellington.i ;.Mr:tM^ar e ni;^t" ; W pf;.unemployed .on the books at. present b'u n T^ re v a^ e -' Riiiß to •:the bureau. :' A .deputatiomst: Forty or ; fifty.' were at- th ■Sstrafe'.f!: : W, * em ; hot : ft ; :;: ' : \Only ;Farm : Hands: Required; '■'■'■ ; i,^ r: ,% a ™ an r . asl£ i:,whether,the Wellingtoi branch ?of; the-Department was in touch witl branchesi in,other .parts of the Dominion.' «Mr. .Millar: We have .learned- -that- fan, labourers, xire-needed; in Southland; Otagc Taranaki,- Hawke's 'Bay,-and , Wairarapa - Vr-*{ r v- M i^f e y = .Y?n. mean -milkers/' -' -- ■'- r> Mr. MiUar-MUkers and- farm labourers : There is.still--a big demand-fo ; Ofie of the deputation remarked that countr' work was; no good-to them,' as most of £ were, town-brea f) .-What they-would l?Lwa work-like :pick>aud shovel' work ' ™ deputatibnist :v Some of', us ' are' : n v Mr.. M Laren- '.romarked: that- a cbnsider'ihl !; ept,,tp;.sce ; whether, these- men'who had 'com out as:■ agricultural.;..'labourers-•■-received - tH, '^l!v^\— mb^ '■'■ °, £ ; tllV "iepatation - : men H, If" ™ at -, Bl nca he .lost Hs'-remploymeht™ rd "v l^' ? A «? fecause h" w° a and^hardayl^ l^^.' ««£ was .centred around Weilinlton f n P A m?D J mm MM wmsms be,none to give. Th 6 ■ Goiernnient *as ?he -Limit to estate; '- ■■'.■/■'''' : W''the\G6vo'rnment'o*id more woris'th^','^ ; r ing e . m » lo .™e»t c ■wom tnanjn any., previous year. .Altogether the Department assisted. 10,391 men, inoffis 2538 mamed-.men.and 7853 single men" B Hr. Millar:-They received-it. ,k : >, S\ <?:..■■ ■ ~ine. went on-to'say. that'62ol men (were sent to Government works and AM T to private employment; ; ■ "■ ■■■- ■ .bu^u?^ 7 -:'^ iWu ? &*. , and' ;they .were Wt.' to Hffie:Minister (proceeding)'eaid;that: the:de: pendents .of the', married-men- totalled 7510 :The ...amount .-of,'.employment' which S -'.been given. was,25 T per than, in. any "ml VJO.U9 ,y«ar. • If. the/Government was to ooT- ■**&*? .. find employment forio.'many meri;%it would have: to;be.;granted enough money The public must understand' that' b" no 'use ;tor;.'the.(pubhc->rcomplain ;that ,the:'Goverri::ment was ;.plnnging,or -borrowing,- for ;■ if .so ;i much .employment, had : to' .be afforded the money to pay - for it '.would ' havo to be found '■-'«- r te T borr <" n ?B or/by additional taxation; ;■« "■J^? 1 asked whether there wore over 10,000 distinct applications "for work last year .or .whether some of. the-applicants had received work more- than once.'. ■ '■ ■■■■■.■ --.■-. --. • ■ ■.-■: : •Mr.-'Millar-replied that -he could-.not'-'sav but the .fact-could not'be altered thatthat number.of: men^had'-applied' for wort. : 'v' V;; V :"■ ■';;''' :.'Question of, lmmigration. '■-,'■; ■:•'.''■', >n : top ot all ttus tne dovernuient , should continue tobring out assisted emigrants?' '•'■- " ■.:Mr, : Millar:-We;are:pnly"'bringirig' out farm 'hands, which is a class of ' labour that ■ is .;■'-■ "':'•■: '■'■';": -.'■'. ; r ■'.■' .--.: . rMr.Maaren:,lt,is ;well.known that-plenty or. skilled men. have -, got .passages: upon ■ the pretence th.at'they.were farm "hands, i- <■".' -iMr.'Millar: Ifyou give me any names I will' tonowtho matter.up. . . /. ' Mr. M'laron: Oh, I am hot going to aet as an , informer. : . ■ ..-..,". '.'Mr. Millar:, If it;can be" proved that any mah : has. been assisted, under: false pretences' I guarantee that he will be, sorry that he ever came out here.. ,-- . : < ... ■.•-.-■• ■'.. ■ Subscquently Mr.' Millar said that the unemployed m Wellington included GO carpenters, D , unskilled labourers, 20. bricklayers, 15' to !:0 .plastcr9rs/. l and 40 other, He was -informed that carpenters were becoming .busier. It wa.4 probable that a few more would '-hi required-at the works at .Forirua Asylum. ; There' was, however, no Government work for plasterers at their, own trade. As regards the unskilled .labour, the; Government would do what it could. Perhaps 20 men'might be placed at road-making,at'Wanganui. . . ,-.'-. A deputationist: That is the. work we - have been promised for three weeks, but telegrams have kept coming to hand stating that the on. gineering work was not ready. '-S£me of us run , a risk of • being turned out of , our lodgings,, so we must get work somewhere.- • ■ ..j , Mr. Fisher (to Mr. Millar): Can inquirios as to what can be done? '.'■ ■■::':■'. ''Look for Private Employment." '■'.-' , . Mr. Millar said he would' see the Minister for TuMic,Works at once. It was probable that road works would be prosecuted in the summer and railway works in the winter, v He would give, the deputation a reply, next day. Before ;hay left he' would advise the deputation to look for/ private employment. The Government Blight do a lot to .relieve distross, but the Goveminent, could not go on employing 10,000 men continuously. "If,', he added, "you can Ret anything in the way of privata employment 1 would advise you. to ■ take it." Mr. Massey suggested, -that, the Minister' should obtain the names of the deputation with a view to'them getting first chance of work. "•■ TJpon'learning, that the deputation' included several.single men, ;Mr. Millar pointed out that the Government intended to continue.to givo preference' to:'married men, especially those with a/"family.^''';•'■ , ;.-....•,.. .', : .: "■A'doputationist: What are the single men to '■ ; dof'.■:•' ■■-■■ ■-'.■'. ' .--■"'.. '..'"-.. ■■■;•." ■'-.' ■•: Mill»r:.They can stump the country for .work hotter , than : married men. ... ' ; The deputationist: My boots afo worn through ; and:we have no lnoniiy to bny fare?. ■ .. the vtamp of 'who '.inade, -thisf-;.Do.niiiioii;" Thty .wtr«': : noviiite lcok ivs.yratk* •■■- 1 '•: ■'•• .■-.