CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 21, 6 January 1928, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED

MEETING IN VICTORIA SQUARE. many' complaints made. Christchurch, Jan. 5. Work, not charity, was the theme of speeches made by leaders of a group of unemployed representing ail branches of trade that collected in Victoria Sguare , this morning. Mr J. Pearson, who took the chair said there were men amongst them who had not had food for three days. They did not want charity, they wanted work. They represented nearly every branch of trade and not merely the labourer though there w r ere a large number of that class of worker amongst them. Mr Brightmore complained mainly of the rations which the Hospital Board distributed. They were not sufficient, he said, and what was more, men had to work before they got rations. Sometimes men were not fit to work after the privations they had suffered. At the conclusion of the meeting it was decided to visit the Mayor and put the complaints before him. The meeting then formed itself into a deputation to see the Deputy-Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan M.P.). The proees. sion numebring about 50, went round to the Council Chambers and after a wait of over half an hour, was Informed that Mr Sullivan could not possibly get down to-day, but that ho would moot the deputation at noon tomorrow. Later in the day the men waited on the Hospital Board and the benevolent committee decided to increase the allowance to all applicants for assist ance.