UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 187, 12 September 1914, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GOVERNMENT.

PREMIER'S INDIGNANT REPLY.

[From our own Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 11.

An allegation that the Government is not doing its duty in providing work for unemployed tradesmen drew an indignant denial .from the Prime Minister (Eight Hon.. W. P. Mas'sey) -in the House of Representatives this evening. j The subject was introduced by Mr A. E. Glover (Auckland Central), who' riii'd a letter he had received from the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners of Auckland. The letter asked him to bring under notice the injustice which was being done by the Government in having by far the greater part of the troopships fitted up in Wellington. The writer of the let-tor had been given to understand that in Wellington men were -engaged at their ordinary occupations during the day, and were then engaged in overtime work after their ordinary hours. This was going on while in Auckland many men had been out of work for weeks. The letter went on to 1 allege that the Government, while apI pealing to private employers to keep as many men as possible at work, was it- ' self discharging dozens of men, principally artisans, from almost all the State departments. The Government had thus shown itself to be more panic-stricken than any private employers in the Dominion. If affairs were 1.0 return to normal the Government must do its best to. provide employment for as many men as possible. 'After reading the letter, whvrh had been handed, to him-by Mr Glover, the Prime Minister said that, so far as the troopships were concerned, they were not under the control of the . Government, but of the Imperial authorities. The Government had shoAvn not the slightest discrimination let ween the various centres, and had endeavoured to give work to Lyttelton, Dunedlu, and Auckland, as well as Wellington. However, the fitting up of the ships had been in the hands of the Imperial authorities, and not of the Government of the Dominion. CONTRARY TO FACT.

With regard to other allegations contained in the letter, they were absolutely contrary to fact, and lie would say that emphatically. The leMer, he noticed, was written by a 'man named Bloodworth. He did not know the gentleman himself, but the name was v*ry familiar. (Laughter.) There was not the slightest tittle of foundation for the statements in the letter. He would ask the Minister of Public Works whether, or not he was discharging ino/i. Hon. W. Fraser: Certainly not. The Prime Minister: There yo*i have the reply of the Minister of Public Works, and if the Minister of Boihvuys were here I have no doubt he would a:xy the same thing. The Government, he proceeded, was doing all in its power to keep every man employed. He hoped to be able to make a definite statement in a few days which would satisfy every member of the community, particularly with regard to the northern goldfieids. PAINTEES OUT OF WOEK. Mr H. Atmore (Nelson) said that there were many painters but of work in his district. He wished to know if the Government could do anything to provide work for these and other trades-"•■.o-n„

The Minister of Public Works (Hon. W. Fraser) said that he saw his way to guard against unemployment throughout the country generally, but it was uarea son able to expect him to keep skilled artisans in full work at their ordinary vocations, and the ordinary rates of pay. An Hon. Member: What about navvyiiig?

Mr Fraser: I have any amount of it. The Department, he continued, met with many difficulties in providing work. Places were found for men, and thev would not go to them.' As an instance, a few days ago he had place?; for a large number of labourers near Christchurch, and only twenty men went out to the work. The next day a meeting of "unemployed" was held in the city, and was attended by about 300 men. What could the Government be expected to do in such a case?