UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18894, 8 January 1927, Page 17

UNEMPLOYMENT.

A SERIOUS POSITION. APPEAL TO MINISTER. l'Ci-cntly the Public Works Department paid off a number of men employer] on several of its undertakings at relief work, and the City Council has reduced the number of labourers on the Barbadoes street job. This and other factors have combined to make the unemployment situation almost as acute as it was during the winter, and much worse than in previous summers. About 25 men, mostly labourers, registered yesterday as unemployed at the office of the 'Labour Department, and statements are being made that the workless number several hundreds. Harvesting is not yet iu full swing, and farmers' enquiries for labour are not so numerous as they will be towards the end of the month.

Mr F. Langbein, Resident Engineer, .PAV.D., said yesterday that through the completion of several works, about 120 men had been paid off. The following telegram was dispatched to the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. Mr Williams) by Mr 11. T. Armstrong, M.P.: "Position of unemployed here very acute. Getting worse on account of Public Works Department discharging men. Can your Department do something at once to relieve the position?" The Minister replied as follows, from 'l'okomaru Bay: "I am enquiring iuto position regarding unemployment, and am returning to Wellington next week."

SLACK TIME IN AUCKLAND,

[THE PRESS Special Service.]

AUCKLAND, January 7

Always a quiet period in certain trades, January this year lias opened with a. somewhat acute situation in unemployment among unskilled workars and' certain classes o[ skilled operatives in Auckland. It is described by an official of one union as the quietest January he lias known since 1918.

The actual total of unemployed was not available to-day, but it is believed to exceed that for December, which was 616, and over 400 labourers are included in the total, but there is work for this class of man in the country.