Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1891. THE UNEMPLOYED.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 112, 13 May 1891, Page 2

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1891. THE UNEMPLOYED.

■ — ♦ We join heartily ia tho regrets expressed last night that a meeting of unemployed should bo neceasary in Wellington, bnt as the unfortunate necessity has arisen, we ate glad to be able to commend moat warmly the tone and temper of that meeting. That there ia a dearth of employment in many trades Beemssnfficiently established, and the cost of living is so high in the city that want of employment by heads of families must necessarily entail serious hardship or their wives and ohildren. Under these ojrflumstances the moderate and temperate manner in whioh the grievances of tbe situation were diseased last night is worthy of tha highest praise. We do not subscribe to the doctrine that it ia the duty of the State under all circumstances to find employment for all who profess to deairo it, but most certainly it is the duty of the State to use every means legitimately at ita disposal to alleviate the evils of poverty not induood by personal idleness or intemporanoe, and to bo use the publio resource* as to afford all who are able and willing to work the widest possible opportunity of earning a fair day's wage in return for a fair day's work. It in not essential that work of an unnecessary character should be specially devised. What i» wanted is that works whioh are necessary should be bo arranged as to afford employment to those able and willing to take it. It seema to ua that there should be no difficulty in doing this at the present timo in any part of the colony. Although no great publio works are in progress, rhere are totne whioh must bs prosecuted, and for which at least limited means are available. In the other Island tha Government have boon able to find contract work at fair prices, for the unemployed on the Westland and Cattjin's River Railways, and we can see no reason why tho same system should not, as Mr. Fisher suggested, be extonded to a fnrther section ot the tf orth Island Trunk Rsitway, for which f nnds are available, or, anticipating tho notion of Parliament, to a Btnall seciion of tho Ekelahuna- Woodville line. '1 he di/Houlty is, however, that a large number of thoas who, unfortunately, are nnmbered amongst tbe unemployed, are tradesmen, and others notable to do muoh at rongh manual work of an .entirely unaccustomed character. Of those who gave in their names laot night, under fifty por «9nt. are unalullod labourers, 49 out of 101. It w«ld scarcely ba affording' practical reliof to offer navvy work to many of the others. What, for instance, oould a party composed of a cook, an artist, a tailor, a oheciiHt, a plumber, and a draper do with what contractors term a 11 muck " contrao', »t per yard f They «o]ild not honestly earn broad for themaalvOH at such work, mnoh lew for thef r families The difficulty is to devise or discover work at which they oould fairly earn fair wa?ea. Navryingr or buehfalling will scarcely do. At tbe sama time the pressure on the labosr market wosld ho muoh relieved if such work oould be found in abundanoe by those fitted for it. Wo often hear of labour being wanted in conntry districts. Mr. Macdonald's suggestion tbat the Government offioers in tho Postal and other departments Bhould be instructed to obtain aud supply information of a reliable oharaoter on this subjeot, ia again an excellent oie; and there should bo no difficulty in doing what Mr. Callender said is dona in New South Wales— provide free railway oonveyanoe for men going to employment. The number of those requiring to be provided for, althongh perhaps greater than represented s,t \&»t night'a meeting, doos not Hoem in very l»r«a ptoportion to the industrial population of the city; and wo hope that the proposed deputation will be enablod to suggest to, or hear from, the Government, some scheme by which the difficulty may be met and the nnemployed be absorbed into the ranks of labour, and enabled to turn their industry into wages.