THE UNEMPLOYED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6871, 15 July 1909, Page 9

THE UNEMPLOYED

ROAD TO MOUNT VICTORIA TO BE CONSTRUCTED. CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE MEET. THE QUESTION OE SUBSIDY'. A meeting of tho general committee of : tiio Liuaeus' Unemployment Fund was nun! iu tno Aiayor's) room, Town Hail, iu6L evening, -Ur A. K. -Newman presiding. j.uo chairman stated that A»l7 had come in to oale, wmeu wan ouvenuucut sawnuy meant a sum oi mirui. UUi Oi imu. uouuc miiu iia<i to no paid out to ■ men on tne present woik. umortunateiy tnero were -oaieciung like iuu name* on urn unempmjeu iisc, ~uu tue sum m uanu wouiu nut go veiy lur. Since iu*t meeting suoaciiptioiii. mm come in luirly wen. He nau lUUud tnero a very otrung oujecuon to me money being expended on worn at \ ictoria ii tvuTK was loimu eisewnere, a good ueui of money wotua ub lortucuiniug tor treeplunung. lie Knew several persons who would suoscr.oe —and iu one cu*o tue amount wouki be suostaucial —if the money was earmarked for tree planting, wiln or without Uovernment subsidy. Ho thought tne money one red should certainly oe accepted under the conditions named. He moved — That any money handed over for tree-planting should be accepted and earmarked for the purpose. TREE PLANTING. Mr J. P. Luke, M.P., seconded the motion, Tho Reserves Committee of the city Council, of which he was chairman, consideied that a great deal of tho Town Belt should be planted, but it was a matter of funds. The Mayor said the present trustees could administer a special fund, and the work could bo carried out tfnder the guidance of the City Council’s officers. There would probably be £75 or £IOO forthcoming for tree planting. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson suggested that tlte proposed road from Constable street to Mount Victoria should be put in hand, the money given especially for tree planting to be used for planting the road.

The Mayor said that certain subscriptions promised would not be forthcoming if they were not solely used for treeplanting. Mr Wright, M.P., . thought the City Council should subsidise a work snob as that suggested by Mr Luke. The chairman said the council was doing a good deal. More money was being spent this year in tree planting than had been voted for many years. He could not pledge the council in regard to a subsidy. The motion was carried. TWO NEW SCHEMES.

Mr Luke said the Reserves Committee had considered tne question ox a road to Mount victoria, lx Xunds were available out of tkis year’s estimates it was intenucd to make a start wjtn the work. The idea was to make the road lUtt wine this year, in order to allow of vehicular trathe, the completion to be held over for the time being. Another work which had been, considered by the Reserves Committee was the making of a recreation ground at the rear of Moxham avenue, Kilbirnie. If snob a ground was made the Government could use it for training troops if any scheme for universal training was introduced. The committee would Xiave some claim on the Government for a subsidy if work of the kind was carried out.

Mr Kirk, in reply to a question by the chairman, said the Government would only give a subsidy for work at Victoria College. The question of a, subsidy for any other work would be considered on its merits. The work at Victoria College would not cost anything like ,£2OOO. It would be well if they knew how much they would be limited to on the college grounds. The City Engineer said the work would cost something like .£7OO. Of course, they could go on with an unlimited expenditure. THE EXPENSE. The Mayor: We do not want to waste anything. Mr Morton said the cost of the road to Mount Victoria would be about .£6OO. Sixty chains of road would have to be constructed, the cost being .£lO per chain. That would be for fairly good workmen. The men at Victoria College would not, perhaps, carry out the work tor thai sum. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson thought they should limit the expenditure at Victoria College to £llOO, including the Government subsidy. Mr Fisher, M.P., suggested the building of additions to the college. If that were done there was a possibility of the Government extending its subsidy. The Mayor: We want work for the city. Mr Fisher said the city was vitally, interested in the college. There was work enough to keep the men employed for five weeks, and by that time plans for extensions could be ready. Mr C. Watson: They are ready now. Mr Fisher said if the subsidy would not be granted for works outside Victoria College, they should certainly build a wing for the college. Mr Jenkinson: Do you know anything about the cost? Mr Fisher; No'. Mr Jenkinson said a wing would cost about £IO,OOO. Mr Fisher saw no reason why they should not go on with such a scheme. VICTORIA COLLEGE. Mr Watson thought the work at Victoria College should appeal to every person. The fees at the college were the lowest in New Zealand, and came within the reach of every young ambitious man in the edmmunity. Plans and specifications were already drawn for extending the building, the estimate being about £3OOO. Tho rooms would have to be built, as the college was urgently in need of them. The funds of the college were all earmarked for salaries, etc., and the maintenance allowance was so small that they could not even supply material.

Mr Fisher said they should go on with tho building scheme if the Government would not give a subsidy-for other works. If they limited the college work to £llOO it meant they limited the Government subsidy to £550 only. “A COLLEGE FRIEND.”

Dr Newman said he was a friend to Victoria College, but in bis opinion much more money would flow in if the money was devoted to tree-planting, the construction of a road to Mount Victoria, or the making of a new recreation ground. Mr Noot was in favour of Mr Luke’s scheme, which was also supported by the Trades and Labour Council. The committee was not clear in regard to the Government subsidy, and he believed the executive committee would again have to approach .the Government to find out whether the’£l for £1 subsidy would be given only for Victoria Coileg.’ woiks.

Mr w. H. Morton said if the road to the signal station was sanctioned ho could put about thirty men on the work almost immediately. At the most sixty men could be put on at the college. In regard to the recreation ground scheme at Kilbirnie, they could expend JJ2OOO there with great advantage to the city. Whatever work was done with the funds in hand could b« extended at any future time, , A MOTION. . Mr Lube moved That the committee is of opinion that after the money set aside for Victoria College in expended, a road , bo constructed from Constable street to the signal station pa Mount .Vic-

toria, in accord with plans prepared by the City Engineer and approved by the reserves committee of the council. Mr Aright, M.P., seconded the motion, which was earned. Mr Luke then moved : That any further sum in hand after carrying out tho foregoing work should bo used in the construction of a recreation ground at the rear of Moxham avenue, Kiiuirnic, and that the Government be asked for a subslay, because, in the opinion of thus meeting, Uio work woiuu be a great benefit to the Government for military and other purposes. This motion was also carried. Mr Kirk stated that Mr G. Nash had handed over a cheque for *£IUU as a guarantee tnat certain people would coniriouto tnat sum for tne improvement of the viadestowu road, provided the council woiuu subsidise the work. It was decided to devote vtiuu to tho undertaking out of Uiu general fund, provided the council wouid contribute A'-00, making in ail TiUu, the estimate for tne work, it was deemed to thank Mr Nasn for the oner. Mr Wilford raid tho Harbour Board was prepared to engage men from the unemployed list to do cerium work to a reserve* near Karaka Bay. The offer was a coexited, MOUNT VICTORIA WORK. It was decided to devote' a sum of £l5O out or the mnd to work on the roau to -Mount Victoria. Mr Moitou said he could put about thirty men on next Monday. The secretary was instructed to arrange a deputation to the Minister for Labour, the Hon. J. A. Millar, to-day in regard to the Government’s exact intentions concerning the subsidy. Tho Maj’or reported that the Ladies’ Committee had collected *£4o odd. Mr Wright said he had reason to believe that persons other than authorised collectors were canvassing for subscriptions. It was decided that no collector should canvass for money for the fund unless provided with a special book signed by the secretary. The public would then know that the collector was genuine. The secretary reported that about 300 persons out of work had .still to be provided for. Of this number 150 were married men with wives and families. THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST. The following additional subscriptions, bringing the total amount up to £717, have been received by the secretary: —

WIT AT IS BEING DONE. Another batch of fifteen men commenced work at Victoria College yesterday, making a total of forty who are now engaged on this job. la is understood that the Hospital Trustees have given the Citizens’ Unemployed Committee power to excavate their section alongside Victoria College. As soon as tho necessary details are arranged about a dozen additional myi will be put on to carry out this work.

A cheque for £2OO, the first instalment, has been forwarded to tho Victoria College Council by the Relief Committee to enable* the council to make the necessary arrangements for payment of the men employed on tho college grounds. There are now over four hundred names of unemployed on the list kept by the secretary of the Relief Committee. Yesterday three arrivals by tho Athenic on Wednesday were amongst those who applied for work.

It has been decided by the officers, of St. Peter’s Church to have retiring collections made on Sunday morning and evening next for the benefit of the unemployed relief fund. It is to be stipulated that the money is to be specially ear-marked for expenditure on tree planting.

CONDITIONS. IN CHRISTCHURCH. NOT SO ACUTE. THE PROPOSED RIGHT TO WORK BILL. PBESS ASSOCIATION. C'ilßisKJii L IU.IX, July 14. Mr W. i±. .nagger stages mat the uumoor of caucus at tne Labour cUreau has decreased appreciumy m .uu last few days. A list was posted outside the City Council otuce yest-u----uay giving the names of forty men lor wtoui work was available. Six of the men commenced work yesterday aiiernoon and hve more to-day, so that only eleven of the forty menbave put in an appearance. Mr A. D. Dobson, City Surveyor, in formed a reporter this morning that the number of applications that he is at present receiving for work is uo greater than usual. The City Council is always looked upon to provide work when nothing else is offering, and consequently ho is continually receiving applications for employment from carpenters, labourers, and others who are faced with temporary lack of work.

At the Trades Hall Mr Darcy reports that to-day there have been about the usual number of callers. Many of the men are becoming tired of calling and receiving the same reply to their inquiries for work, consequently there are not so many calling and asking for work. Those who call inquire more particularly what steps are proposed to bo taken to find work for, the unemployed. The secretary of the Trades Council’s unemployed committee (Mr R. J. Eckroyd) has communicated with the city and suburban members of Parlia mont and asked them to meet the unemployed .and discuss with them the question of the right to work and of the introduction of a. Right to Work Bill next session. FIFTY OUT OF WORK .AT NAPIER. ’ NAPIER, July 14. Over fifty men- have registered their names with the C.t’rens’ c'omjnittce as ■T-p -iploT-d these, eight were today provide I • : fh wn-k and it is boned to assist .-ouie of the others in a similar way. with the co-operatiou of the pub-' Stc.

£ 6 d J. P. Firth ... 5 5 0 Warnock and Adkin ... 5 5 0 Eoyal Oak Hotel Staff ... ... 10 0 0 Lodge Itiueinoa, No. 122 ... 3 3 0 J.M.B ... 2 2 0 B. Fletcher and Co. ... 2 2 0 Union Steamship Co. ... . ... 21 0 0 H. M. Hayward ... 10 0 0 T. M. Wilford, M.P. ... ... 5 0 0 C. J. Crawford ... 10 0 0 J. Duthie and Co., Ltd. ... ... 5 5 0 Ladies’ Committee ... 41 18 1