DEPUTATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9331, 23 January 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

DEPUTATIONS.

ROAD -\yOHKS AT CATLINS.

Mr J. F. M. Praser yesterday introduced to the Minister for Lands (the Hou. John M'Kenzie) and the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. J. Seddon) a deputation of Messrs T. Brown and It. Ohiaholm, whose object was to ascertain what prospect there was of certain roads at Cutlins being opened and formed. The Minister of Lands explained the position of the matter to tho deputation, and the financial difficulties that stood in the way of the works being immediately prosecuted, ■and promised to do what he could at the earliest possible date in the direction of affording access to the settled properties. THE UNEMPLOYED. A deputation of six men (representing a number of others who waited outside the Ministerial office) was introduced to the Ministers by Messrs W. Hutchison and D. Pinkerton M.H.H's. '

Mr Hutchison explained that this was a deputation of unemployed men, some of whom liad been at work at Oatlin's River and had had to leave there. They expressed not only disappointment at the work, but also at not having been able to continue there for a longer time, and thus being unable to take up land. The Minister of Lands said the last account he had from there was that tliere Were four more contracts, and that the men would not take them. : .

One member of the deputation, said that even if the wages were higher it; wquld bo impossible to get "tucker" to the placd where the work was. Another remarked1 that 13 out of 18 contracts had been taken up, but the men had never started work. It was also stated that a storekeeper there would "riot undertake to furnish supplies to the men unless there were 200 of them.

Mr Hutchison asked whether tho railway there would be resumed shortly. Tho Minister fob Works said that there was no money, and the House would not bo meeting till the usual time. It all -depended upon ,what would be done then, so far as tho Catlins work was concerned. • The Minister proceeded to say that when he was at Pembroke recently an employer of labour there told liira. that he wanted men and could not got them. He (the Minister) asked this gentleman if he had communicated with the Labour Bureau at Duuedin, and he said that he had not. He said, however, in answer to his (Mr Seddou's) request that he would send on a letter to Dunedin giving particulars as to the number of men he required, and what the work was like. He (the Minister) had not yet received that letter.

A member of the deputation remarked that some of the men had written up to the engineer of the Clutha County Council and asked if he wanted hands, and he had replied that there was no opening, Another man present added that he was round the Clutha district for a week and there was no sign of a job. Forty of them had sent word that they would be willing to work for 6s a day, and by way of answer "T;hey had received a letter, which he handed to the Minister to read.

The letter referred to stated that the writer could not ascertain whether or not there was work to be got at 6s a day. It was, however, a fact that men were not to be got for all the work there was to be done lately, and his general impression was that it would be hard to get mcii for the harvest.

The member of the deputation who handed in the letter asked' how it was that at the time that letter was written the Mayor of Balclutha was trying to get the unemployed out of the district.

Mr Hutchison remarked that when men were sent to persons who said they wanted workmen,the usual reply was, that the men sent were not the sort of mcc they wanted. He might he allowed to remark that the Government had stopped sending people from one place to the other, and that was, he thought, against the men's chance of finding employment. He thought that passes should bo given pretty freely _ to men out of work. There was not much in it, and as it seemed to him it was in the main more a matter of keeping accounts than anything else. The alisisTEK fou Works remarked that that was hardly so. The ■ Railway Commissioners made a charge and took the cash from the Treasury.

The Minister fo:i Lands : Yes, there is more in it than that. It is taken out of your vote for " miscellaneous." '

The District Engineer (Mr Ussher) having been sent for, was asked how he was oft" for men at the Otago Central, and replied that there were quite as many as they could do with 311 st now.

A member of the deputation remarked that men were leaving, and asked why the gaps were not filled u[>. in answer to further questions, the District Enoixekk said there were about 30 men going on at the Seaward Bush works this week, all being from luvercargill. The Minister you Wobks remarked that among the deputation, were men who had done some preliminary work at Catlins, and hence had some sort of claim to have been put on. One of the men said that the first pay which his party got at Catlius was 3s 8d a day, and the second was <Ss 7d, and when they had got into work at which they could make money their work was stopped. . The District Engineer said he had had many applications, and could show by reference to his letter book how things had' been conducted on tlie Otago Central railway during the Minister's absence from Wellington. Referring to the Catlins work, he added that he understood there was some difficulty in getting provisions. -

A member of the deputation.said that at a point 20 miles this side of where the work was men had at present to pay Is for a loaf, and 2d a lb extra for such goods as tea, sugar, and meat. In answer to the Minister for Works, it was stated that there were about 250 men out of work in Dimedin and suburbs, all willing to go anywhere. Before the holidays they were p.-omised faithfully work at Seaward Bush or in th-J North Island. '

Mr Pinkerton said it would bo useful to know what parts of the country men were wanted in, and if the Government would take steps to find out who in tho country wanted labour, and if lists were kept at the post offices, they would know the state of the labourmarket. As it was, they heard statements from the country as to men being wanted, and when the men applied they said they could not get work.

The Minister for Lands said that the Labour Bureau agent had told him that whoreever he heard these stories he had asked some responsible man in the district as to the truth of them, and the general reply was that the men sent would not suit. This he (theilinister) took to be an excuse. Mr Hutchison : The whole thing is an excuse. . -■=■ ■ ■ ° One of the deputation referred to Captain Mackenzie having had the "cheek" to write' the letter to which allusion had been made, and said " that was the gentleman, if he could be called one." "* ■

The Minister for Works remarked that the squatter at Pembroke to whom he had referred said that he would guarantee 15s a week or give so much per hundred for rabbiting He had, however, not got the letter. A member of the deputation said it was all bosh. Another stated that a man at Shand's had been saying that he could not get labour to thin his turnips, and yet he had refused to give the speaker 15s a week for that work. A man on the Peninsula had offered 5s an acre for cutting grass, and there was only two days work at it, and at that figure experienced scytnemen could only make 3s a day, and yet that man went all round the place sayinff he could-not get hands. The Minister for Works said they could do nothing more at that time, but they would talk the matter over, and communicate with Messrs Pinkerton and Hutchison.

The interview then terminated