THE UNEMPLOYED

Southland Times, Issue 22218, 10 January 1934, Page 6

THE UNEMPLOYED

A SLIGHT DECREASE FIGURES TO DECEMBER 23 REGISTRATIONS TOTAL 44,707 (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, January 9. The figures released to-day by. the Unemployment Board place the unemployed on December 23 at 71,703, a slight decrease on the previous total. Applicants for work on the registers of the Government Bureau at that date numbered 44,707, excluding 2960 men on the register who were either unplaced or for various reasons ineligible for relief.

It was estimated that 14,000 are employed on developmental and reproductive work calculated to benefit primary industries. Those on the registers who were receiving part-time relief under Schemes No. 5 totalled 37,443. Workers engaged in industrial undertakings, whose earnings were subsidized from the Unemployment Fund, totalled 26,996. MEETING AT GISBORNE EFFORT TO SECURE NATIONAL STRIKE. (Per United Press Association.) Gisborne, January 9. A largely attended public meeting to-night was convened by the unemployed workers’ movement in connection with the refusal to accept relief work and the following motion was carried: “That the meeting calls on the Government to restore the Gisborne allocation to that ruling in November; to abolish compulsory camp schemes and abandon piecework on relief jobs.” According to various speakers an attempt is under way to secure a national strike of relief workers with a view to securing improved conditions of employment. A letter was read at the meeting from the Mayor (Mr John Jackson) stating that since the local workless had refused work, he would not attend the meeting.