WHAT CITY HAS DONE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 136, 13 June 1927, Page 10

WHAT CITY HAS DONE

MASS VISIT TO MAYOR

CASES OF HARDSHIP

A large deputation of the unemployed marched from the Trades Hall this morning to the Concert Chamber, whero they were received by the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup). Mr. B. M'Kcen, M.P., introduced tho deputation.

Mr. F. Cornwell, president of tho Trades and Labour Council, referred to the committee set up last year, comprising representatives of all the local bodies in the district, their engineers, and the engineers of the Public Works Department, which had operated very successfully in alleviating the unemployment then • experienced, and he hoped that his Worship would move in having a similar committee again elected. Although the Concert Chamber was very- nearly filled those present, he said, represented not one-fourth of the men out of work in the city. Many of the men present had been out of work for three months, and delay would constitute a danger, as the men were becoming daily more dissatisfied. The Government, though the position had been clearly placed before it, had done nothing from day to day. The Trades and Labour Council asked the Mayor to do his utmost to assist in this important matter.

"CHILDREN" WILL GO HUNGRY."

Mr. A. Cook, president of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, said that while the position was acute in Wellington, it applied to the whole of New Zealand. The committee set up last year by the local bodies had done good work, and he would like to see it revived, as engineers last year had in many cases increased their-staffs to meet the position. A happy point about the employment offered by that committee was that all men taken on were engaged at Arbitration Court rates of wages. Some of the men present were married, and yet had not had a day's work for either one, two, or three months, and others had only had an odd day's work, which was of little use to them. Some of the men present had sold their last stick of furniture. All he said could be proved, and if something were not done soon, children would go hungry. He made the further appeal that trade union rates of wages should be paid to the men engaged. Men could not keep wife and children on 12s a day, but this wage was only guaranteed on Public . Works for a fprtnight, after which the men were asked to take on piece work at which they could not live away from home and mako ends meet. He knew of scores and scores of men who had left the latter work, as thuy were getting further and further into debt. There was a case last week of a man who had 4d left after paying for food after a fortnight's work. Mr. M'Keen asked for individual experiences.

• One man said that he had been discharged from the Public Works employment .having been disabled as the resuJt of an accident, but he had received no accident pay, and when he went to the Public Works Department about it he was told not to come again or he would be ejected by a policeman. Another man, who said that he had brought up a family of eight in New Zealand, said that he had not had six weeks'work since December, though he had looked both in and out of Wellington for it. He had now three dependants. r

BESIEGED BY APPLICANTS.

The Mayor Said that at the outset he could assure them that there was no need of a deputation to impress upon him the number of men out of work because on Saturdays and on Sunday as well as officially all the week he was besieged by applicants for work. He had heard of some very pitiful cases and somo who were destitute. He had endeavoured to assist them as much as possible. He was surprised that the speakers seemed to think that nothine at all had been done by the City Council to relieve the position. The very afternoon ho had assumed office a meeting had been held and £10,000 voted to bo raised for the relief of unemployment, but nobody seemed to be aware that at that timo an Act was in force which prevented tho matter from beinc pushed right ahead. b Mr P. Fraser, M.P.: "Tho Prime Minister assures me that that does not

The Mayor: "Tho Primo Minister showed mo the Act. I went into the matter of relief worka ful) d structed Mr. Mackenzie, Director of .Reserves, to engage a number of the moro necessitous cases, and 40 were put on clearing gorse on the Town Belt kmco that men have been put on lowering tho sandhills at Rongotai, ana other men in turfing the ground that was levelled last year. M, M'Kenzic has also had instructions to put on returned soldiers at the Nairn Street h t> «CA aUSe,^° have a»oeations from tho R.S.A. which enable us to do so. Probably to-morrow wo will be starting on the Graf ton road. It can not be said that the City Council had done nothing, because while tho other big contres are still discussing what they ought to do Wellington has done more than any other place in New Zealand, and I think wo should be given some credit for acting more quickly and to a greater extent than other local bodies

OOVEENMENT MUST ASSIST. "There is still a great deal of unemployment in the city, but I think thatTn time we will be able to absorb a further number, but the City Council cannot meet the whole of the situation, the Government must assist us in some degree. The Prime Minister indicated clearly and distinctly to a deputation of the Mayors of other centres that he has proposals in view which I believe will ineot the situation. I know ho is anxious in this matter, and ho was awaiting a return from the Minister of iinanoe. The whole thing will very likely be fixed this week, and I think that within a fortnight the situation will bo met. We will be able to place 60 men i-inorrow to begin with " A member of the deputation-' "Is it the intention of the council to pay relief, or trade union wages?" Mr. Troup: "The men will be classed as 'A' men at 14s a day, or <B' men at 12s a day, the latter being the rate for the men at work on the sandhills. Reference has been made to the committee of last year. I am not at all averse to Us being reformed, but to go into that now would only mean further delays, and I have tried to expedite matters."

*i. £ urther queries Mr. Troup said that all employment would have to be engaged through the Government Labour Bureau; nobody would be engaged at the Council Chambers. Work would be given only to residents of Wellington. Relief to married men with bis families would be given first.