LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1676, 13 April 1904, Page 59

LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. OFFICIAL CONTRADICTION. The following telegram, sent from Sydney, has been appearing in Australian papers:—“The Minister of Works has received a communication from the officer in charge of the Labour Department iiriNew Zealand to the effect that the unemployed difficulty io beginning to make itself manifest in that colony. It is stated that of late many men in search of work, which was said to bo abundant in New Zealand, had been flocKing into the colony, and their presence has completely upset the labour market, and necessitated the establishment of relief Works.” Under the heading of “Unemployed in New Zealand,” the “Sydney Morning Herald” of March 20th states: —'“It is gathered from a communication received by tho Minister for Works from the officer, in charge of the labour branch in NeWi, Zealand that the eastern colony is beginning to feel the pinch caused by unemployed flocking from one pflace to another. For a long time Sydney was the magnet that attracted many pnemploy ed men from Victoria!, but it appears that they are now flocking over to New Zealand, together with some of the unemployed of New South Wales. In addition to this, men are landing in New Zealand from England in the expectancy of getting work immediately. Tlie effect of this sudden inrush has been to completely upset the labour market, with the result that relief works have had to be started to keep the unemployed from starving.” . V, In view of the extra,ordinary character of these statements, a “New Zealand Mail” reporter intervieived Mr E. Tregear, Secretary for Labour, on the matter. . _ “I may at once say,” remarked Mi Tregear, “that no such message lias been seht by the Premier as Minister of Labour, or by myself as Secretary of

the Labour Department. The-statement is entirely erroneous and appears to be part of an organised attempt to depreciate this colony, as the Premier has had by cable to deny a similar statement appearing in London rap-era. “No relief works have been started in New Zealand nor is there' any pressure of unemployed. Notwithstanding tiie great influx from Australia during the distress caused bv the drought there, we managed to absorb them all without, trenching upon our own resource's. We have not had any influx of people lately from Australia to cause us any trouble whatever, and, so far as New Zealand is concerned', there is no- unemployed difficulty. “ In proof of this fact, I may mention: that two or three weeks ago we had great difficulty in meeting a call from the Government for one hundred* and fifty men for railway construction works. There are no unemployed to .speak of is this colony. Of course, there are some unskilled mein out of work, but nothing that could not easily be- met. With, shearing and liarresting ever, there wfjl, naturally, be some unemployed, before the work of bush-felling begins, I repeat, the message referred to has no foundation in fact.”