UNEMPLOYMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18637, 5 August 1930, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEPUTATION TO MAYOR. Following a meeting of unemployed held on Caroline Bay on Sunday, a deputation waited on the Mayor (Mr W. Angland) yesterday in regard to the position in Timaru. Mr J. McKellar, who acted as spokesman, said that the position had become serious, and the unemployed desired to know if the Council were in a position to absorb all the men out of work. He asked if the Council were in a position to employ all the men on the Waimataitai drainage scheme, and if this were not so, would it be possible to distribute the work by taking on the men in turn, week about? Mr McKellar went on to say that the meeting on Caroline Bay on Sunday was not antagonistic to the Borough Council. There were only two speakers antagonistic to the Council, and these men had private reasons, one of which was in connection with the third degree. The Mayor: What do you mean by the third degree? Mr McKellar: The questions that are put to the men in regard to the number of children they have, and the length of time they have been out of work. One man complained that he had been questioned concerning his relationship with his wife. The Mayor: We are bound to ask certain questions in order to ascertain how many dependents a man has, and in this way only can the Council find out the true position of each applicant. Replying to the deputation, the Mayor said there were only two Council employees on the Waimataitai work, the others, approximately 80, being members of the unemployed. It was hoped to put on another fifty men at Waimataitai within the next few days, and apart from this work the Council had the George Street sewer contract (£2500), which would be let in a week or two. There remained also the work at the Viaduct, the Southern Outfall drainage proposal, the construction of men’s conveniences in Strathallan Street, and the cleaning out of the reservoir. These jobs would all provide work for unemployed, and it would be seen that the Council was in a position to absorb all the unemployed labour in Timaru for some time to come, and it would do its best for the men who were out of work. In reply to a question, the Mayor said that if the weather remained fine all the unemployed men should be in jobs within the next two or three weeks. The Council had approximately £19,000 ready to spend on various contracts. They were doing their best, but apparently some of the speakers at the Bay on Sunday were not aware of the true position. Mr McKellar said that the unemployed men knew that the Council was doing its best. If it had not sufficient money, possibly they could hit the Minister up for more.