THE PROPOSALS OF THE OTAGO MINERS' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10423, 27 July 1895, Page 8

THE PROPOSALS OF THE OTAGO MINERS' ASSOCIATION.

(Tuapeka Times, July 24 ) We are glad to see that a Bensibie effort ia at l&6t being made in Donedin to provide a etandiug and permanent remedy for the periodical distress among the unemployed working classes of the city. A short time ago a large sum of money was generously subscribed by the public there to provide employment dutiug the winter months for the destitute workers of the city. On the money bo raiaed a subsidy was giveu by the Government, and with the whoie amount the committee who have undertikeu too aommistration of the fuad hope to bo able to enpply work at r small wage and so prevent auy suuering from want duriag the winter months. This is, of coorae, very, coro.a2sndn.ble and very humane, as far as it goe3. The gentlemen who. have been instrumental in rawing the iuad consider they have done all th\t can be reasonably expected-of them if they suecesd in .-'relieving existing destitution. In this respect they areyxtctiy doiDg what the Governmsnt, winter after winter, ever sin^et'ie unemployed diffiuu% ficst prtsented itself, hns been eD^aged io doing.. The Government, !ik« tha Relief Uoaimittee now sitting in Dunedm, set itsalf (0 hush the unemployed cry by the distribution of charitable doles in the form ,cf sniill w.-^es for work dona. The folly of such a makeshift system is visible in the fruit it has produced—in the fact that, instead of applying itself at once and with >n-intelligent and purposeful aim to the eradication of-an evil, it .has merely cultivated it, given it time, and even encouragement, .to grow and expand snd intensify and become a source of extreme national trouble. ' The method adopted was very much the same as if a surgeon instead of at once and boldly applying his knowledge of medicine to the expultion of some virulent disease contented himself with securing a temporary alleviation of- pain, meanwhile allowing the disease to take an enduring hold of its victim. To some extent .'thisiiaay serve to illustrate the attitude of the Government towards the unemployed. Sscingely enough, the committee who have undertaken the 'administration of the relief fund in -Duhedin are blindly following in the same path. ' Effort? were mads to induce them to'send a number of men out into the mmiag districts' as a permanent measure of relief, Tte Rslief ComaiiUee.however, refused to comply with this sensible demand, alleging fcbat the money' had been subscribed by the public on tha representation that it would be expended solely on work in aid around Dauediri. If the public are aaxious to have thessme deaaaud made on their ' pockets next, winter they, certainly have taken the. proper course of having their wishes gratified; and the Relief Committee have • the sains" assurauce taat; their Bervices will bs required for a similar purpose. We are'glad to see that a number of gentlemen, recoguisihg the ut'tar ur elewness of this system of-dealing with the uucrnployt d as a permanent means of : meeting the difficulty, havo inaugurated a movement with the object of providing work for> tbe unemployed on toe golrifir'lds. An association hw beenformsd ijor that purposes, which is called tha.Oiago Miners' Association, and it i« intended that it shall ba registered an a; charitable society under ' vTh<s Religious, Charitable, and Educational -Trait Biards Incorporation Act 1884- " The association proposes to find «! tucker)?' tents and tools, ar:d any travelling exposes absolutely hsces-, 88 ry, uone of which will b« charged t --> the men. All the gold wou will be the property of the association, who'-will, however, refund an amount'to be mutually agreed upon to the parties finding it, while the tumilies of the married ju?n will be provided "for during their absence. Had the Govtrameut .many, years ago balqly faced the unemployed difficulty iv some such manner as the Dunedin association are endeavouring locally to do, they would have made the pleasant discovery' that they had bit on ths true specific. : The seme system adopted by the Now South Wales Government has bean attended by'- She most gratifying results. Whtn the distress, in Sydney had reached an almost hopeless stage a couple of years ago the Government selected some hundreds of men, provided them with mining tools and tents, and vent them/into* the gold mining districts of the colony. Since then it is significant that the gold yield nf the colony has more than doubled itself, snd has sav«d the State tbousand* of pounds annually in charitable relief; Many hundreds of wen can' find profitable employment on the'goldfield's of Otajfo, &nd if only the newly-formed ansoqiatioit has the liieaus of carrying oat the laudable work is has uadnrtakah thwe c«.n be no doubt whataver o£ the success;of the experiment, . ,