THE UNEMPLOYED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16646, 3 September 1914, Page 2

THE UNEMPLOYED.

YESTERDAY'S MEETING. IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED. A crowd of about 150 persons congregated on the river bank opposite the City Council Chambers at half-past twelve yesterday to protest about the amount of unemployment in Christchurch. The proceedings Were controlled by Mr Herbert, who was mounted on a wheelbarrow. He said that during the last two or three days he had tried to gather information for the use of local bodies regarding the amount of men out of work at the present time. Ho had been in communication with the Metropolitan Trotting Club and it appeared that that body intended to make some extensive alterations to the grand stand on the racecourse. He wanted the meeting to urge upon the club the necessity for pusning on with the work. About £SOOO was to be spent and the work would give employment for a large number of men. In regard to the situation ho said that he u *u u? *° a PP ear pessimistic, but he thought the position was going to be much worse. He wanted the unemployed men of Christchurch to meet every day, arid so illustrate to the authorities the need for urgent action in the matter. The speaker then appealed to the crowd to say: " We want work." The gathering responded with a loud and unanimous shout. Mr H. Hunter said ho believed that the local bodies were doing all they could to meet the situation. Before the City Council " and other bodies could go on with any special work, they would have to borrow money, and they had to look to the Government for it. It was the duty of the State to provide the unemployed with work, and it should be made to recognise that it was important that something should be done to relieve the distress. He was satisfied, however, that those present did not wholly consist of unemployed. He urged the unemployed to unite, and be prepared to show and to give the Government and local bodies every particle of information regarding the number of men out of work.

Mr D. G. Sullivan said that he did not wish to say anything that would stir_ up class feelings in the present crisis. He was not satisfied, however, that everything was .being done to relievo the situation of the workers. At the beginning of the war the people of the country were asked to bring about a harmony of national sentiment, and in that respect the workers of New Zealand had been faithful to the request. They were also asked to be prepared to make sacrifices and to be economical, but in tho face of all that a number of largo firms had cancelled contracts, with the result that a great many persons were out of work. At the same time, too, the prices of the necessities of life were being increased, and the worker with a smaller income was asked to meet a higher cost of living. Referring to the actual amount of the unemployment in Christchurch, he said that those present did not nearly represent the true state of affairs. The number of those present could be multiplied many times to indicate tho actual amount. Tho situation - was much more serious than it appeared on the surface. The Government and local bodies should display a great deal more keenness and enthusiasm in the matter. They should be forced to recognise the urgent necessity of instantaneous action. Sir J. Thorn urged the workers to cooperate and placo firmly before the authorities the fact regarding the true position of the unemployed in Christchurch. It was decided to meet at the same place daily to further discuss the matter. ( . APPEAL TO MR MASSE! GOVERNMENT WORK IN CANTERBURY. SUBSIDY TO~LOCAr, BODIES ASKED FOR. The following telegram has been sent to the Prime Minister by the Miyor:— "The Unemployed Special Committee strongly urges the Government to grant a pound for pound subsidy to local authorities to provide special work for unemployed; also, that the Government should be urged to proceed with the Sumner-Lyttelton Road. This road would be of immense value for defence purposes. The road to Godley Head Lighthouse should be put in hand. The committee also urges that the Waiau-Culverden railway should t>e vigorously proceeded with." THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. GOVERNMENT WILL HELP. Last 'night the Mayor received two telegrams from the Prime Minister. One stated that Mr Massey had conferred with the Minister of Public Works, and that the Government was willing to give pound for pound, the City Council, however, to find work for married men, and the single men to go where tho Public Works Department had work for them. The second telegram made the Government's intentions clearer, ft was as follows: "Please note the conditions under which Government assistance will be given. First, the work must be only for unemployed married men;*" secondly, the work to be undertaken must be approved by the Minister vt Public Works; thirdly, that Minister must also approve of the manner of carrying out the work."

SUGGESTED WORK.

VIEWS OF MR H. G. ELL.

. PROPOSALS FORWARDED TO GOVERNMENT.

Mr H. G. Ell, M.P., has written to the Hon R. IT. Rhodes, suggesting that he should give instructions that the site of the new maternity home at .Addington, which is unfenced and in a very neglected condition, should be cleared and prepared for the new building. Mr Ell also has suggested that the work of erecting the new maternity home should bo pushed on, that the site of the post office at Richmond should be put in order, and that alterations to the General Post Office in Christchurch should be b*;gun. "If these works can be taken in hand," he says, "employment will be found for many months." In a letter to Mr H. J. Beswick, chairman of the Domains Board, Mr Ell says:—"There is plenty of work to be done about the parks and gardens if the Board had but the means at its disposal, and it has occurred to me that if the Board asked the various contributing authorities to pay the levy which has been made, at this time, when there is so much need for employment, they would agree to do so. • This would not prevent the local bodies from apfiealing, as some of thorn are doing, or a differential rate, and would not in any way prejudice the claiin which they are making in this connection, Another suggestion by Mr Ell is that £IOO belonging to Victoria Park, on the Cashmere Hills, should be spent in planting the reserve. He has written to Mr J. R. Hayward, chairman of the Chri6tohureh Reserves Committee, stating that little or no planting has been done in that park for years. At present the plantations are composed mainly of pines, blue-gums and oaks, some of which are very stunted Mr Ell's proposal is that small irregu-

lar clumps should be planted northwest and south-west of the house, and that each clump should contain totara, ribbonwood, tarata, kowhai, matipo, karo, and the native beech, alt of which stand the wind well. A steep face, about ten acres in area, he suggests should be planted with veronicas, cabbage trees, kowhai, ribbonwood, matipo, tarata, karo, totara, native beech, native holly, and as many species of native shrubs as can be obtained in Christchurch. "I venture to say that if this scheme is carried out." Mr Ell concludes, "the plantation'in a few years would present a ' very pretty sight. In addition, employment would be found for many men.". TROTTING CLUB'S STAND. WILL THE WORK PROCEED? SPECIAL MEETING TO BE HELD. At the annual meeting of members of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club it was decided that si new members and stewards' stand should bo built at the club's course, but on tho outbreak of war the committee of the elub decided that the work should bs postponed. The effect of £ the decision not to proceed was that ail.avenue for the employment of a number-'of men was closed. ; : The position, however, will .now be reviewed at a special general meeting to be held on Monday, September 14. at 2.30 p.m., when the following motions will be submitted: — (1.) That the resolntion passed at the last annual meeting of members setting as'de £2OOO as a reserve fund should be rescinded and applied towards the building of the new members and stewards' stand, and that the committee should give effect to this resolution forthwith. ' ■■ (2.) That the opinion of the members unanimously voiced at the last annual general meeting respecting the immediate erection of a new members and stewards' stand should be given effect to aud proceeded with at once, and that, the plans and specifications submitted by Luttrell Bros-, showing an estimated cost of £7360 and already adopted by the committee should be signed and ac- . cepted, and .that the.committee should give effect to this • resolution forthwith. . ' • , 1J V (3.) That the secretary should be asked to produce at this meeting a specific list of tho donations made by the club during the past financial year, and that the committee should give effect to this resolution fortb' with.

PLOTS OF LAND. ft SPACES ON RACECOURSES. The Mayor at the meeting of th« Christchurch Domains Board on Tues. day said that laud was required for the planting of potatoes, and added, that the Patriotic Committee wae prepared to bear the cost of putting in the potatoes, and would recoup it» expenditure from the sales of the crop. Speaking of the proposal to • "Lyttelton Times" reporter yesterday, a • Cliristchurch resident suggested that the Patriotic Committee should approach the Canterbury Jockey Club and the Canterbury Park Trotting Club for permission to use the inner portion of their courses. The land, he said, would be improved by the cropping, and the work on the courses would not bo seriously interfered with so long as the training tracks were left untouched.