THE UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9335, 19 October 1893, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED.

[BY TELEORAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 UiißiSTOiEcmciiL, Wednesday. By arrangement some 60 or 70 of the unemployed met the Hon. Mr. Reeves this morning. The Minister said he was ready to confer with all men who wanted work, and wore ready to take ib if offered. He asked anyone else to leave the room. Powell and two others then left. The Minister said he was sorry so many we re out of work, bub he Was glad to see so many of the unemployed present, because influences had been at work to prevent men coming to see him. Ho referred to attacks made on him by the Mayor, the reliability of whose stetements he denied. He would like to point out that expenditure for public works by the present Government last year exceeded that of 1891 ; this year it would be further increased, though less loan money was available. The suggestion that he and his colleagues did not sympathise with men out of work, that they cared nothing and did nothing for them, was false and unjust. No Government ever schemed and laboured so to help the unemployed. He referred to what had been done, and said the Government i paid the unemployed a fair day's wage for a fair day's work, which other Governments did not. The Government could nob and would not start large useless works near town, as had been clamoured for. If he did, the whole Labour Bureau and everything connected with it would be swept away by public opinion. He asked them to tako his word that as he had done his best in the past would go on doing so in the future. The Minister, in the course of his address, was frequently applauded. A number of unemployed conferred with Messrs. Sandford and Tanner, M.H.R.'s, today, and* preliminary steps were taken towards forming a special settlement association. Dunedin, Wednesday. The executive of the Otago Central have interviewed the Hon. McKenzie, asking that the tunnel between Hyde and Ryan's crossing be commenced at both ends, also earthwork ; that each should be proceeded with in order to avoid delay. The Minister said he had received a wire from Mr. Seddon stating that the tunnel would be undertaken as desired. Personally he could nob speak about the earthworks, but would inquire. The Government were exceedingly anxious to prosecute the line.