WANGANUI WORKLESS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 9 January 1931, Page 9

WANGANUI WORKLESS

SUSTENANCE MONEY WANTED.

BIG MEETING HELD.

There was a large attendance at the ■Wanganui City Council Chambers On Thursday when the Unemployment Committee met the unemployed of the city to discuss the situation.

The Mayor M. W. J. Rogers, outlined what had taken place since the establishment of the- Unemployment Board. He said that Government votes til £2UO and £llli had provided employment to January <3 for 214 men for 702$ actual working days, representing an expenditure of £241 12s 7d, leaving available £74 7s sd. Further work had since been authorised, representing 55 days, at a cost of £l7 ss, reducing the sum available to. £57 2s sd. '

Mentioning the vote of £250, Mr. Rogers said that it had enabled 264 men to be provided with 357 days’ work more. They had been grateful for what the committee had done to tide them over the holidays, but it was absolutely necessary that far more should be: done to cope with.-the distress. ' A grievance that many of the men desired to be remedied was having to wait an the Labour Department’s office from 7.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.nr. to learn that there wais no work for them. Unemployment records would show'that in some cases only 14s had been earned! in as many as ten days.

LIST OF MEN AVAILABLE.

The Unemployed Committee had a iis of unemployed men showing the hour's of worn they had done, and the number of dependants and other particulars, which they were prepared to submit to the board’. The following resolutions' were carried : That this meeting of the unemployed workers of Wanganui city and surrounding district, wufie recognising the arduous efforts l of the local Unemployment Committee and the Labour Department to hud work, considers that a. department of unemployment should be immediately established in Wanganui in charge of an officer, who would be able to devote the whole of his time to dealing with unemployment. (2) That, m view of the fact that there is no work offering for unemployed workers in Wanganui city and surrounding district, this meeting caliis upon tlie Unemployment Board to immediately grant sustenance payments m the terms of the Unemployment Act. (3) That tins meeting requests the local Unemployment Committee to take steps immediately to arrange for the Mayor and other members to wait upon the Unemployment Board as a deputation to stress the serious position of unemployment in Wanganui city and surrounuing district. At the Unemployment Committee meeting held later a suggestion was made that as there were plenty of ' Civil servants drawing wages with very little to do, one could be appointed as suggested by the first resolution. All three resolutions were reaffirmed, and! it was. decided that Messrs. Rogers (Mayor) J. T. Hogan, M.F. V O’Meara, and Ylareliant wait on tiie Unemployment Board in Wellington.