UNEMPLOYED.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8004, 18 June 1894, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED.

A meeting of those out of work at Enfiold and Woßton wai held in tho sohoolhousu, Enfiold, on Stturday night, for tho puipose of considering what means to itdopt so that in future tho unoin ployed of tho country districts might receive % Mr sharo of the Government work Mut iq being started in order to roliove thoie in need of employment. There were about 50 wotkmen presont. Messrs W. Seymour (chairman of the O.»maru branch of tho New Zealand Workers' Union) and S. Boreham, of Oaniarut wore also present. On tho motion of Mr Aston, Mr Golding was appointed chairman. Tho Chairman said ho was sorry to loam thoro were so many out of work in the dtstiict. Ho would first read tho advertisement calling the meeting, and thon ask Mr Aston, tho convener, to address thum. After which ho would ask Mr Boreham to address them. f jo thought thin tho best way to proceod, and would therefore call on Mr Aston. Mr Aaton siid ho had c<Ulocl the mooting because ho concluded that tho unomployod of En6eld and Weston had not been treated fairly by the committee who selected the men to work on Mr Meek's osuto. Thore had boon 20 men selected, and one only had beon selectod from .imonght those residing in tho country* and ho was suro that sumo of the men at Enfield woro in as groat, if not greater, neod of work than many of those from Oatmiru who had beou selected for the job. Ho thought, in tho faco of this, it was just about time they started to look after themselves. Ho would also hko to .say that tho Bureau officer had told him that ho would sejjil word to Enfiold when tho men wore to bo chosen f«r tho work, but no word had boon Rent, This looked to him very much like a<j if the Boloction committee wished to do tho thing quietly, so that the country rosidonts would know nothing about it. Ho thought that thoso men taking up sections of the estato wero certainly entitled to a share of tho work,

but riono worr> selootod. Ho trusted tho meeting won! 1 uke Home stops in tho mutter, or they would find thornst>lvos left out in (ho cold should any moro work bo started. Mr S. Boreham said ho had no doubt Mr Ast< n had reason to complain, but Mr Aston whs wrong when l»» said the cm mitt to had nut trea'ed them fair. Ho ooiilrl ahsuio thoin ihv) committee did thrir best to noli ct tho most duHuiving ra'u'H, Ho whs suro i hoy rvould boliovi* him when ho entd 'hat his Worship ihe Mayor and tho Bureau ofh'c«r acted in no cordanco with tho information at their command whon selecting tho mor, and if, as Mr Aston Baid, tho country inuu had boon left out in tho cold it wasbeciuso tho committee hid moro prossing cisos to deal with. Mr Borelmn then dealt with tho modo of nolecting tho men, and gave (ho moating Homo idoa of tho distioss in Otmaru, and trusted somothing would boon turn up for thorn all, as ho wan just •<s muoh in need of work as any of thoin. Mr E. Fitzgenld moved, mil Mr W. Gdlig'm Bucouded, •' That a petition bo diawn up and signed by tho unomployod of Enfleld and Weston, Betting forth their position, and praying ftr re* liof, suoh potitiou to bn forwarded to the Hon. tho Minister for Labor, nnd a copy i.f tho samo to bn sent to Mr Isdalv, tho member for tho riding in the County Council, asking him at the same time to havo it considered at tho next meeting of the Counoil." Mr Fi'zgorald baid it was no uao crying over epilb milk. Let them try and do something for themselves «o that thoy would not bo left out; in tho cold in the future. Tho motion was carriod. Mr Aston moved, and Mr Bartly seconded, "That two representatives be ippointed to the selection committee, 0110 from Eofield and ono froai Weston, an J. that Mr Aston bo representative for Eufiold, and Mr Fitzgerald for Weston " This was carried. Moved by Mr Fitzgerald, and seconded by Mr Alton, " That tho Bureau oflicer bo respectfully oskod (0 lot those elected to act on the oommittee know when men woro to bo selected for any 00-oporativo works going to start." CarrioJ. Mr Aston asked Mr Boivham if it was truo that six mon had boon put oil from the works at Enfield in ordor that those remaining would earn more money. Mr Boreham said it whs not true. In answer to further interrogations from Mr As on, Mr Boreliaiu said the Burotu nflicor was vuiy oavful and particular how men regis'ored their namoi on tho books of tho Department, no th t tln>ro could be no fraud huoli as Mr As on inferred. MrGilligxu: If tho bureau issopirparticulur how is it that a mmi selected to wolk at Enfiold should luvu in order to go to Livingstono ? Mr Boroham snid that ho balioved that this h «d Ulu<n p'aco, but ho was informed that this man nas tiMiisforre'l at tho roqaest o( Mr Hution to do a particular kind of wcrk. He would, however, toll 1 linn t hit this had not his sympathy. Mr Aston asked, as Mr Bureham had said that tho country men wero nob Boleotod because they had property, how W'ts it that mon from Oamaiu weio selected who hid property. Mr Boreham said that tho committeo were not awaro tint men without families owning property woro sent. Mr W. Gilligan retorted that ho knew a man who was picked that owned two cows, two pigs, had L2OO in tho bank, his wife sold milk, he owned a house, had no family, and ho w^s sent. What had Mr Boioham lo say to that? Mr Boreham was not aware that a man could bo so misleading as to register himself as having a family ai d in nood of work if ho w;ia MtuVod as Mr Gilligui had haul. Ho wua of opinion tint n man doing this would bo liable to imprisonment for obt tining work under false piotencos. A vote of thanks to Mr Boreluun and tho clniir brought the mooting to a close.