UNEMPLOYMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13941, 29 June 1909, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT.

A CROAVDED CITY.

Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, June 28.

The Mayor, Dr Newman, says that his experience indicates that the city is crowded with unemployed. A fresh batch of about twenty-five calls are made on him each day. Some state that they have tramped through Warrarapa, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki country districts but we're unable to get work. The Mayor says he is very loth to call a meeting to consider the best means of relieving the cases of distress, but he feels he is impelled to do so. It is proposed to set up a committee for the purpose of gathering funds from the citizens. SENT TO WORK. WELLINGTON, June 28. The first batch of men for the bushfelling relief works sit Waitotara left Wellington to-day, consisting of nineteen persons. Another batch of twenty leave here to-morrow for the same place nnd will be followed by further detaeliments, until 100 have been despatched - during the- week. Twenty men were sent to Nelson day to the railway construction work there, -while twenty are being despatched to railway works at Stratford on Friday next. TJNDER-RATE WAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, June 28. There is strong feeling amongst the trade unionists of the city regarding the city engineer's refusal to pay the standard of 8s per day wage to a fairl large number of men employed on municipal relief works. The presence of so many unemployed brought the prinicple of under rate wages into prominence and unionists look upon Mr Dobson's (City Engineer) action in telling 13 men they were not worth 8s a day, and if kept on must get permits to'work for less than the minimum as a dangerous precedent. Many men receiving notice say that they are worth the minimum. The union accept these statements and are apparently determined to support them. The unionists feel that Mr Dobson is not in sympathy with them, which may be founded on the fact that when the labourers' case was before the Arbitration Court, he appeared to oppose their demands. They feel also that the developments in the city will be used as the thin end of the wed«e to breakdown the minimum wage. The unionists admit that the men engaged on work where muscles are not developed, are not able to earn the minimum. Any man used to hard manual labour, who falls into pick and shovel work for a few days should be paid the full minimum. , , . The principal development in connection with the unemployed has been an almost unanimous decision of those who had been notified to obtain permits to work at less than the union rate to refuse to work for less than that rate. As a consequence only those receiving Is an hour resumed work this morning. A fairly large number of those who had been asked to get permits were in attendance at the City Council Office during the morning, and received payment for the work they had done. Some of these men talked to the press representatives, the general trend of their opinions being that they would rather starve than accept less than Is an hour. Those who took these extreme views did not appear to have any dependants on them. Amongst others who were looking out for work and who had families depending on them, the opposite view was expressed. They were willing to take work at almost :.nv rate of wage. On enquiry this afternoon at the Labour Department it was ascertained that of ten men who were to have reported themselves at 10 a.m. to-day to have their passages for the North Island arranged for in connection with the bushfelling work provided by the Government,-on!v four had reported themselves no to 3 p.m. Two others who had applied for work during the

day are to «> north and an attempt will be make up the original number. JSxprienced bushmen are receiving prefereice for the bushfelling work which is leing done by contract at from 25s to 30s per acre. Twentylive men will be despatched to-morrow morning for work on the midland railway at a point between the Cass and the Bealey. Anther party will be despatched on Thursday and next week two more parties xi\\ be sent to the same works. THE COUNCIL'; ACTION. CHRISTCHURCH, June 28. Deputations waited on the City Council to-night-, and pretested against the payment of less than a day. The Council decided to employ 50 men for the next fortnight, when he question should be further consider*!. It was also resolved that each nan, after completing six days' work, should be discharged to make room fo'i another man. The surveyor's action re payment of the men was approve!.