UNEMPLOYMENT ACUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11226, 3 June 1922, Page 7

UNEMPLOYMENT ACUTE

INFLUX FROM THE COUNTRY “POSITION NOT TOO' BRIGHT FOR WINTER.” LITTLE WORK ON WATERFRONT. Tho unemployment problem is reaching an acute stage, a. “Times” reporter was informed yesterday by the assistant secretary of the R.S.A., who said that there were between seventy and eighty names of live men on their books, wanting jobs as clerks, seamen, tinsmiths, motor drivers, gardeners, etc. Most of them are anxious to get ework in the city or suburbs, rather than go into tho country. “Some of them are Only capable of light work, such as cleaning up, and the R.S.A. would bo glad to hear of any employment offering. The /prospects for the winter are none too rosy,” added our informant. GLOOMY WATERSIDE PROSPECTS. Inquiries were made at the Waterside Employment Office, where it was stated that the winter prospects were gloomy. During the past week things had been \ery slack, only 350 to 450 men finding work in plaoe of about 1200 in normal times. Things were nob at all promising. Mr L. Glover, president of the Watersiders’ -Federation and Wellington Union, said the above figures did not include the Harbour Board employees. “You can safely say,” lie stated, “that out of our membership wi the Wellington waterfront, nearly always there is one-third who don’t receive any wages during the week except on specially busy days, which have been very few lately. There may be 100 men and only thirty jobs, so thirty men are taken on one day and thirty others the next, and at the end of the week, they do not take' more than about two days’ pay. These men are not counted as unemployed, although they may only work one or two days a week. COUNTER JUMPERS TO WHARVES. “The picture is none too bright, and we find a number of “counter-jumpers” from the . country, where places have closed down, coming into town, so that at present we have a membership of one-third more than can get any employment. In' Auckland there are men who have worked on the wharves for years, and have not earned a. penny for the last five weeks. I have been round the -ports of the North Island just recently, and the position is the same all round. There is" no work to do. It is impossible to make 500 jobs find employment for 1500 men. THE LOAN MONEY. “It is. said that the loan money is hardly likely to . afford much relief to the unskilled unemployed, for \ the" Mayor (Mr R. A. Wright) recently pointed out.that this money is earmarked for special purposes,. and beyond material and equipment to be purchased, would only provide employment in the main for skilled labour.” / • Every, effort is being made to provide employment. in the city and suburbs upon improvement works, and the subject is to be further gone into at a public, to be held next week. .