CITIZENS' FUND

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 62, 10 September 1921, Page 6

CITIZENS' FUND

NEED FOR EXPEDITION. \

In replying to some criticism about the appeal for money to' give work to the unemployed, Mr. Mitchell, M.P., states : "We quite agree that it is the duty of the Government and the municipal bodies to provide work for the unem- | ployed. Especially have the Government a duty in Wellington, when, by numerous discharges from the Government Department*, they are a largo contributor to the -unemployed, ranks. The departments wefe badly when money was plentiful and things were booming. They are now forced) to discharge' employees when things are bad', and thereby swell the ranks of the unemployed. If the Departments can carry on,- and do more business with the decreased staff, the people now discharged were surplus to requirements, and should never have been employed. They would, then, have sought and found some other avenue of employment, and, wouWi have been.a help, instead of a charge on the State. I speak, of course, of those running Departments who are now doing the same work under a decreased staff, and not the War Departments, that are being wound up. But the Government refuse to do more than they are now doing, viz., employing 227 men now on road relief works in the Wellington district. It will take the council some time to raise a loan if they are successful, or to take such other steps as they deem fit. In the meantime, good men are idle, I and women and children suffering thereby." Mt. Mitchell cited some typical! cases. '"These cases alone,'.' he added, "should be sufficient to appeal to the heart and pocket of all. We appeal ,not for the waster, the shirker,'the Bolshevik, the 'go-slower,' or the unemployable, but the honest, decent, men and women' and (children; men who are prepared to do a fair thing and now wait a chance to work. But they want that work now. Women and children will be very hungry before the Government decide to do anything or the City Council can take action. Able-bodied men are now seeking aid from the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and other sources. Many more will do so unless work is found. The question is : 'Will the people give the money to provide these men with work, or will they find money by taxation for the Hospital Board to keep them by charity in idleness?' "We realise that this effort will not permanently relieve the difficulty, but it will provide work at once and keep men employed for some weeks, thus giving the Council time to mature its plans ana take whatever steps are necessary. A list will be delivered to every place of business, office, etc., on Monday next." Employers are requested to put the list before' their employees, and, when completed, to forward list and all donations to Colonel Mitchell, M.P., Dominion Farmers' Institute, Featherstonstreet, when receipt1 badges will be forwarded. THE MAYOR'S APPEAL. . " There is no question," said the Mayor, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., while speaking to a Post reporter this morning on the subject of the Civic League's appeal, " that the number of unemployed persons in Wellington is greater than is generally supposed, and it is also clear that quite a large proportion of the cases are. most necessitous and deserving. I find from the inquiries made from day to day at the Town Hall that the men would far rather work than accept charitable aid—they are anxious to earn money-r----and therefore the immediate need of raising sufficient money to provide employment is evident. lam strongly appealing to the citizens to support the effort being made by the Civic League to raise funds. "To those who are in employment, whatever it may be, the gift of one day's pay towards the fund will perhaps be to some extent a sacrifice, but it will be a, sacrifice in a good cause. 'It is difficult to ascertain, just how many men are out of employment at the moment. A conservative estimate seems to fix the number at about 500, but possibly the figure is greater than that. If, however, the citizens will respond to the appeal it will enable the Corporation to proceed at once to employ as1 many men as the funds will allow. .1 " While it is true that the council has authorised the raising of £25,000 for works already sanctioned by the ratepayers, which money can be raised quickly, yet it will be some time before those works are surveyed and prepared for the employment of labour. In the meantime, then, women and children whose bread-winners are out of employment are suffering, and it is on their behalf that I am making this appeal." Mr. Wright mentioned that a suggestion of "on© day's pay" was contained in a letter, dated sth September, which he received from Mr. T. B. Godard. The writer, himself a worker, then wrote making the suggestion, and furthermore backed up his proposal with an enclosure. "GET YOUR LITTLE JOB DONE NOW." , In discussing the unemployed question to-day Mr. Mitchell, M.P., pointed out that if fill who required little jobs done would have them done now, it would greatly help the unemployed. There - are numbers of people who may have a day or two's work in digging, excavating, .draining, mending the fence, cutting the hedge, and many other such jobs. If people who can afford it would have this work done now it would help materially. Brooklyn residents are having a meeting' on Tuesday night to discuss what can be done in this matter. A LETTER AND THE REPLY. Mr. Mitchell has received the followingletter from a local resident:—"l wish firstly to express my sympathy with the effort you and others are making to i"elieve the unemployed. You are doing something, while a lot of other people ara only talking about it. I am earning £3 18s a week, and have a wile and

seven young children. It is a struggle to mate both ends meet. Do you think « man in my position should give ona day's pay ? I should like to, but I cannot. Please publish your reply, co my mates, like me, will know." To this the following reply was sent: —"No; you have all you can do to provide for your own children. Charity begins at home. But if a man cannot give a day's pay, he may be able to give the ■widow's mite. Each individual must decide if he can honestly afford to give, ajid how much. lam convinced that R everyone does this, and gives according^ iy, we' will- provide for the legitimate unemployed in our city, without any hardships on poor people with large families, like yourself."