UNEMPLOYMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17133, 21 June 1927, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT.

WHAT WANGANUI IS DOING. Cr. G. 11. Burnett (chairman of the Works Committee of the City Council) made the following statement of the poistion to a Wanganui Herald reporter “We are straining every effort, ’’ said Cr. Burnett, “to deal with the serious position that confronts the city in regard to unemployment. His Worship the Mayor and the city clerk and treasurer (Mr Murch) have already made urgent appeals through the Press explaining the position. At the present, time the Works Department,, through the City Council, are taking every step to retain the large staff already on the pay sheets of the Council. When it is considered that our weekly pay sheet now exceeds £llOO the City will recognise our position. We are now pushing on drainage and unemployment works, and are absorbing as many married men with families as we can, and as money is provided. If any citizens are interested I would be glad if they would inspect the work we, for instance, arc doing in Purnell Street extension, just past the old rubbish tip. We have a number of men engaged there who are giving us excellent service. “In fact, not only the relief men hut all the staff recognise our difficulties and arc endeavouring to give us good service. I cannot stress too much the seriousness of having so many of our citizens with dependents out of employment, and ask all wiio can to contribute what they can to help us through the winter. Every £1 contributed means £2 towards wages. Wages are spent throughout tlie city, and find their way hack to the business people, who in their turn have had a trying season. Apart from this feature all the work being done is good, useful public work that will improve the city in every way. “In Wanganui East on Monday night a large meeting will be held to organise funds to do some £I2OO worth of urgent drainage. This sum will carry a £i for £1 subsidy, so that if £IOO is raised in Wanganui East we can immediately put on 20 to oO married men and carry through a really useful and necesasry scKfcme. Is it not far better for our citizens t.o contribute in this way than contribute through the medium of charitable aid? We are sure that when the position is fully recognised and understood that our citizens will not allow the blot of unemployment to rest upon our fair city. liis Worship has already expressed the Council’s appreciation of what has been done by the citizens already, and the manner our Council’s staff has risen to the occasion. I

“I might say that the reference made yesterday to the fact that a married mail with seven children had been discharged was true, hut it referred to the Tramway Department, where the man had, I understand, been employed on a street repair gang. My committee will endeavour to place this man with the unemployed gang as eariy as possible if the facts are as stated.' 1