THE CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11846, 18 July 1893, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED.

(Per Press Association.) Christchurch, July 17. At a mooting of the unemployed this morning the following resolution was carriod— " Thai this meeting requests the Government to withdraw from offer on louse in perpotuity the Ellesmore lands and to suttle the slid lands as a cooperative farm, but in the event of the Governmsnt not seeing its way clear to withdraw the lands from offer that it give — the pre-omptive right of purchase to noa- ■ occupiers." The meeting then adjourned till 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. Mr Lomas, of the Christchurch branch of tho Labour Bureau, has received instructions to select 15 of tho most necessitous casas to proceed to road work under the Survey Department at Eltham, in the Taranaki district. There has buen some misunderstanding in regard to the telegram received on Saturday. It was not from the Minister for Public; Works but from the head of the Labour Department in Wellington. The instructions wero to select a numbar of men for relief works, and it was stated that there was no truth in the rumonr that a railway was to be constructed to Sumner unless by private syndicate, but ( of that the department knew nothing. (Christchurch Truth.) Ono of the speakers at the meeting of the unemployed held here yesterday wa3 perfectly right in his contention that the true solution of the difficulty would be found in the settlement of the capable unemployed upon the land. Spasmodic attempts to find here a litble work and i there a temporary job may teniporarily-W stifle agitation. But the question is an ™ ever recurring ono, more especially in this province during winter time. Some steps should bo taken to settle men on land at no great distance from the city. Govern. ment declare that land suitable for sach settlement is not procurable, while a correspondent (Mr Geo. G. Stead) asserted in our columns a few days ago that land of the proper description could be obtained by the Government if really - wanted. We, &b previously pointed out, referred the contradiction to the District Commissioner of Crown Lands. We have received a reply from the Department dated July llth, in which it isstated that on account of the Commissioner's absence at Cheviot the information we desire cannot be given, but the matter will be placed before Mr March&nt on his return. W* have no intention of letting the subject drop until it is thoroughly thrashed out. Still we think it a pity that there ifl apparently only one person in the Department able to answer a simple question. • Meanwhile, though the grass may be growing, the staed is starving, , and we, therefore, urge upon the Government the ' necessity of taking some immediate Bteps Ji to cope with tho present difficulty. There-M is a considerable amount of peifeetly genuine distress in Christchuroh, ;j