UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19773, 25 January 1928, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

POSITION IN HEW SOUTH WALES STATEMENT BY ACTINGPREMIER. Press Association-By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, January 25, (Received January 25, at 10.15 a.ni.) The Acting-Premier (Mr E. A. Buttenshaw) states that the unemployment problem is not nearly so serious as the Government has been led to believe. Only 5,000 unemployed are registered in the metropolitan area and 3,000 in the country centres. The Government during the last three months has spent £IIO,OOO on relief work. The lact that the harvest has been a very light one is probably responsible for the number of men coming from the country to the metropolitan area and other industrial centres looking for work, but the recent rains make it possible for the country districts to absorb a lot of the labor which is offering. Replying to this statement Mr J. Garden (secretary of the Labor Council) says that Mr Buttenshaw overlooks the fact that almost 7,000 skilled workers, who do not register at the Labor Bureau are out of work. A “no overtime” policy is being adopted By union members to help their fellow members who are out of work. It is stated that the unemployed at Lithgow, numbering nearly 1,000, are planning a march to Sydney to interview the Governor. GOVERNOR’S GENEROUS ACT. MEAL FOR 200 MEN. SYDNEY, January 25. (Received January 25, at 10.55 a.m.) Two hundred unemployed men, carrying a banner announcing that they wore hungry, marched to the Premier’s office, but he was away. The secretary heard the request of the men for work. As they were leaving they noticed the car of the Governor (Lord Somers), and sent a representative to interview him. The Governor was sympathetic, and gave the men a cheque to pay for a meal. The 200 men then marched away to a city cafe, where they had a meal.