THE UNEMPLOYED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2104, 21 June 1894, Page 20

THE UNEMPLOYED.

Woodvillb, June 18.

At a meeting on Saturday night to consider the unemployed question, resolutions were passed asking the Government to open up relief works during the winter months ; that a cooperative bushfelling scheme be introduced in tho district ; that steps be taken to acquire some of the large estates in the southern portion of Hawke's Bay for vilhge settlements and small farms, in order to absorb a portion of the unemployed. The names of 30 men were handed in as being unable to obtain work. Wellington, June 19. The shelter shed, meals, &s., to the unemployed have been costing £28 13s 4d a week, and men are coming in daily still. The Rev. H. Van Stavern said this afternoon that men were continually being sent down now from Wairarapa. There were fresh instances at the Benevolent Society's meeting to-day. Out of 75 people in the home there were half from Wairarapa or Manawatu. It was drcided to have a return prepared showing where the men in tr c home came from. The Benevolent Trustees have decided that all men in receipt of relief on their books who are capable of work shall be offered work on the Queen's drive, and if tbey do not accept it they shall be struck eff the relief list. Wellington, June 15. Replying to the request from the Trades and Labour Council that letters in connection with tbe proprsal for a labour parliament paf-s through lie post tffice free, the Postmastergeneral states that the concession cannot be granted, as tbe system of franking letters and telegrams is to be abolished. The now system is not jet determined on. Mr G. J. Smith, M.H R , one of the lay delegates to the recent Wesleyan Confereuce, iv trie course oi an interview with a representative of the Christchurch Press, said :—": — " I had but little time whilst in Adelaide to get about, as we sat long hours, but what I saw of it greatly impressed me. The colony seems to be fairly prosperous, but you would be surprised to know of the exaggerated idea that Australians have formed of New Zealand. To them it is the Promised Land, and I am glad that to a number of them at least there is considerable difficulty in getting here. The depression in Melbourne seems to me not concluded yet, and it makes the heart of a New Zealandtr fore to see the poverty and distress tbero. It is not so bad in Sydcey, but Melbourne is terrible. They seem to think over there that village end homestead settlements furukh the eolation of the difficulty, and I agree with them. But what I think is wanted is joint action between the different colonie?, s ) as to preveut the wave of people flooding either or any of them. "You know so soon as settlements aro established in any of the colonies there is an immediate rush. No 11 ?, wh?.t I think should be done is some legislation to confine the settlements to the solution of the unemployed problem where they are founded. The usual meeting of the Otago Trades and Labour Council was held last eveuir.g, Mr S. C. Brown (the president) being in the chair. Very bulky inward and outward correspondence having been disposed of, it was resolved to ask tho Labour members to use their best endeavours to push through the Labour Bills rejtc ed la6t se-sion. It was decided to approach the Otago members on the subject of amendments required in the Coal Mines Act. The resolutions passed by the Clyde branch of

the Otago Central Railway League were dealt with. It was resolved to endorse the resolutions, with the exception of No. 3, referring to a loan, which the council could not endorse. The President and Mr Ferguson gave a satisfactory report respecting the recent meeting of boot machinists, called by the Trades and Labour Council, and stated that as a result 29 names had been already sent in. The circular and subscription list from the Stuart Memorial Fund Committee were left in the hands of the president to receive subscriptions.

Twenty-seven compositors have arrived at Wellington from Australia by the steamer Tasmania. No doubt the men came over in the hope of. being able to secure work during the parliamentary session, but there would appear to be little prospect of that. There were so many idle compositors in Wellington before they arrived and so little prospect of all finding work during the session that some of the men were agitating for the discharge of all men who have been 20 years in the Government Printing Office with the view of replacing them by the unemployed. The 24 men engaged on the Oamaru side of the Naseby road have completed the work so far as manual labour is concerned, and according to the North Otago Times, have been shifted to the Kyeburn end, where there is about four miles of road work to be done to complete the road from Oamaru to Naseby.

At a meeting at Enfield on Saturday night to consider the unemployed question the statement was made by Mr W. Gilligan (says the North Otago Times) that a man who was picked to go to Livingstone owned two cows, two pigs, had £200 in the bank, his wife sold milk, be owned a house, had no family, and he was sent there.