UNEMPLOYMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3831, 16 August 1927, Page 35

UNEMPLOYMENT.

POSITION IN WELLINGTON. . WELLINGTON, August 10. lhe registrations at the Labour Department’s unemployment bureau for the week ended Monday last totalled 344—a decrease of 46 as compared with the previous week. The applicants included 99 married men and 245 single men. PROPOSED INSURANCE SCHEME. DEPUTATION TO LABOUR MINISTER. X\ ELLINGTON, August 12. Details of an unemployment insurance scheme, which it was asked that the Government should adopt, were placed before the Minister of Labour (Mr G. J. Anderson) by a deputation representing the Labour movement, and lie promised to lav it before Cabinet. Ihe deputation consisted of Messrs P. Fraser, H. G. R, Mason, and F. N. Baitram, M.P. s, Mr Cornwell (president of the District Council of the Alliance of Labour), Mr \\ hoppy (member of the council of the alliance). lhe proposed scheme is contributory. Mr Fraser said that the workers were pre pared to contribute a third, and it was suggested that the employers should pay a third and the State a third. Another proposal was that here should be some organisation to co-ordinate matters in connection with finding employment. This unemployment council or board would be representative of Government departments, employees, local bodies, and workers. Mr Cornwell said the conference referred to by Mr Fraser represented £5.000 workers. It was something new to get New Zealand workers to agree to a contributory scheme, and it was felt, that the Government should take up the matter. RETURNED SOLDIERS' EFFORTS. FURTHER GRANTS MADE. In presenting the report o-f the Uncmplayment Committee to the meeting of the executive of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association last week. Mr A. MTlutchon stated that the following resolutions had bei'n passed: — That a further grant be made to the Otago Hospital Board for the continuation of work at. the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium and for the employment, of’ three extra men at Wakari, and that this sum he from the grant received from the Otago Patriotic Society. That £l5O be voted to the Citv Council for work at Logan Park being carried out under the supervision of Mr'Tannock, £5O of, this amount, to be debited to the Patriotic Society’s grant and £lOO to the Canteen Funds grant. That £5O be voted to (he Mosgiel Borough Council for extensions and improvements to the recreation ground at Mosgiel.

The secretary, it was stated, was making an effort to employ as large a number of men on this work as possible. The report was adopted. A letter was received from the Canteen Funds Board stating that £5OO had been granted for the relief of distress brought about by unemployment in the Otago and North Otago districts. Mr E J. Anderson referred to a suggestion that ---nieii who were in camp, but. had not gone overseas when the war terminated, should benefit by the grant. He thought that they should, as they had contributed to the Canteen Funds. On Mr Anderson’s motion it was decided to Write to headquarters asking whether the fund could be used to help the men to whom he had referred. position in Dunedin. There are now 197 men out of work in the city. The Labour Department received 15 applications for work at the end of the week, and only a few mon were placed in temporary positions. ' The number of married men unemployed is 91.