UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1927, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

POSITION IN WELLNGTON

When last winter the City Council looked about for means to meet the

serious -unemployment position authority was obtained from the Government to raise a loan of £10,000 in order to finance special works. These works included improvements to the Alexandra road, along the Mount Victoria ridge, the new seafront road from Lyall Bay to Breaker Bay, and the construction of now road access to Hornsey road, to tho Haughton Valley district. The money did not go far enough, and in order that Hornsey road might be carried further authority was obtained to increase the loan to £12,000. This amount has also fallen short, and the council last evening decided to seek authority to increase the loan to £10,000 to enable the work to be completed.

That the present was a suitable opportunity for the City Council to review its works programme in view of the number of men unemployed in Wellington was the opinion expressed by Councillor E. M'Keen. Councillor M'Keen said that there were large numbers of men uneurployed- in the city, and there was a great deal of stress. It was essential that the City Council should carefully watch the position.

Councillor E. Semplo referred to the unemployment which, existed in Auckland and Christchurch, and said that the Mayor of Christchureh was doing his best to meet the situation. He thought they were better off in Wellington than they were in Christchurch and Auckland, but there was considerable unemployment and there did not appear to bo any prospect of the position improving. There was plenty of work in and around the cityv which might be tackled with a view to finding employment for a number of men.

The Mayor (Mr. C. B. Norwood) stated that councillors could rest assured that he would do his best to deal with the position.