UNEMPLOYED MEETING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 5

UNEMPLOYED MEETING.

’WORK URGENTLY NEEDED. .Li SJ e „ e^n S unemployed was held in the Tabernacle Hall last night, when there was a fair attendance of men and women. The organiser, Mr Bryan O’Donnell, occupied the chair, The chairman said he had been to Christchurch at the invitation of the unemployed in that city, where the position of- the unemployed was as bad as, if not*worse than, it was in Dunedin. Tncy had five relief depots there, as against two in -Dunedin. The problem of unemployment was not indeed confined to these two cities—it was a problem facing the whole of the Dominion, They realised that the support given in Dunedin had h eo . n great, but they could see that the relief depots would have to remain open right through the summer. They had received approximately £2O as the result Rugby League match on Saturday, and they expected this sum to be added l°‘j P e °Ple of Dunedin, indeed, had been ready and willing to assist them. There were 50 men at present at work at Ross Creek on the relief system. The unemployed did not want charity, they wanted work, but they did not want work on a basis of sweated labour. The work at Ross’s Creek should be paid for at the award rate of wages. —(Loud applause.) The work at Ross’s Creek was essential for the well-being of the city, and it should be paid for at the customary rates. Dealing with the recent art union, Mr O’Donnell said it was carried out for the relief of the unemployed, and it should be devoted to relief,- and notused for sweated labour. , The trustees were realty bound to band over the money to the Citizens’ Unemployed Committee. The speaker held that the Russian Government was working on right lines, and he read an article from the press on the activities of the Soviet Government. The Russian Government set a wonderful ideal, in that it was out to.see that every one should have enough to eat.—(Aprplause.) The duty of the social workers was not. to obtain money for work, but for the relief of people in necessitous circumstances. They were all loyal to the flag, but he ventured to say that the majority of people in New Zealand were traitors to themselves. They had to be loyal and to obey the laws, but the first Jaw, was to see that every man, woman, and child had enough to eat. They had enough people in the country to supply its wants, and it behoved everyone of them to buy New Zea-land-made goods, and thus help to meet economic depression of to-day.—(Ap-plause.) ' -He hoped the Mayor and the trustees who were holding the money of the art union would do the honourable thing and band the money over to the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee.— (Applause.)' If the City Council would put its shoulder to the wheel he was satisfied it could find work for half of the unemployed.— (Applause.) » , Mr P. Neilson, secretary of the Citizens’ . Unemployment Committee, also spoke. He said he believed that practically every, man wanted work and that there were, few loafers. They had the raw materials in , the Dominion, they had the necessary labour, and, that being so, every man, woman, and child should be able to be supplied with the necessaries and seine of the luxuries of life. The speaker'spoke of the value of municipal ownership, and said the municipality should be. able to supply bread, build houses, etc. They should take steps to have representation on the public bodies, and then they could obtain all they wanted. He spoke of the parasites who were living on the workers, and who-were wallowing in luxuries, ami referred to the birth of the baby at Glaims Castle. Their objective was not so much to alleviate their present conditions; as to abolish them altogether. They must change from private ownership ,to public ownership.—(Applause.) . Mr Petrie, gave information regarding what was being done for the relief of unemployment in Christchurch, and dealt with certain aspects of the problem.