UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 216, 16 October 1914, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT.

A MISUNDERSTANDING. B - / Yesterday Mr E. Howard} secretary of the General Labourers' .Union,'" sent the following telegram to Mr J.~~ McCombs, M.P.: — " Statement published to-day that Minister had difficulty in getting men for Dyer's Pass Boad. "Will you question Minister about statement? It is contrary to fact. Pacts are number men had been registered days previously, and -city engineeer selected haphazardly six men from list and' sent them .to; go to the work. Two of the I six, had obtained other employment. '■ This is a cruel statement from the Minister, Howard.'' 1 To-day Mr-Howard received a reply -from J£r McCombs:— .... "Public "Works Minister has been badly misinformed regarding unem--1 ployment in Christchurch. Learn that employment on Dyer's Pass Boad has been restricted to unemployed married men living in Heathcote County. Minister has wired urgent emphatic instructions to the Public Works Department at Christchurch to consult the Labour Department, and find work for all unemployed. He has also wired to hasten work on the "Zig-Zag Boad. The difficulty appears to be at Christchurch. The Minister is dependent on reports from hia Departmental officers." When asked by a" SUN representative whether he had anything to say regarding Mr McCombs's telegram, Mr H. Dickson, resident ' Public Works engineer at Christchurch, said that he had no comments to make for publication. Anything he had to say must be said to the* Minister. Mr Dickson pointed out that Departmental regulations forbade officers making statements to the Press. He added, however, that the Department would do its best toward the relief of the unemployed. "If they're ; not pleased, we can't help it," he re--1 marked. STATE OF THE REGISTER. At noon to-day the unemployment register at the Christchurch office of the Department of Labour contained the names of 277 men, of whom 212 were married single men* with dependents, and 65 were single men without dependents. Five men were to be sent to the City Council's relief works this afternoon. Yesterday twelve men were" sent to the Ashley Gorge Boad works. The Labour Department states that 50 experienced miners were required foj the Boss mines. THE RELIEF FUND. The fifth contribution of the City Council employees the Unemployed Fund is as follows: —Linwood ward £1 0/3, St. Albans ward £1 11/-, Central ward £6 7/9; total, £$ 19/-.