HARD TIMES AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 513, 21 May 1909, Page 4

HARD TIMES AND LABOUR.

Tins 'morning we publish extracts from! a Sydney:. newspaper which' has' given' |-somo attention to an alleged influx/of New. Zcalanders to Sydney,-and wo also furnish the result of inquiries made locally amongst trnd'Minion, secretaries as ito the .condition i,f affairs In. the' lqcal ;labour market. The information 80 supipliod docs uot;niakc pk'a'jiant reading. It ;is quite'possib'lo that both in, Australia a!!c| here the condition of affairs has been .overstated. It is hot easy to arrive at the exact (acts, but quite sufficient has been disolospd to .make it clear that the Government cannot" afford to ignore the situation. It- will bo noted that most of the labour officials consulted state that serious hardships arc being ondurcd by .a -large number of unfortunate men unable to' obtain employment, and the position is no doubt worst with qyehof thera as have families. Relief works, it is urged, ■will.bo absolutely necessary, to enab'lo many families to go through the winter withQi(t great suffering and distress. It is a little surprisingjthat Ministers havo not already taken.. Borne .steps to relieve tho situation! Rcliof workß have not a pleasant sound in tho cars of politicians, but the misery of, the workles.s in nyinter counts for far mpro than su,ct\ considerations as, this. Already the' distress in tho city is,.we believe, greater than it has been for more years trian. it is easy to recall. A representative of The Pomijjion recently paid visits, in company with an official of a charitable, institution, to the homes of a number of the poor, and it was a saddoning experience. The pinch appears tp be getting worse, and although fhero are good prospects, of an imprpvement in -conditions later in the year, the pext two' or three months are full of grim and threatening .possibilities to jnany unfortunate families. Tho Pruie; Minister should at once institute inquiries to ascertain, what ineasure qf relief may bo, nocessary, and also as to how that relief can bost bo providod. We shall ha/ve, something to say on the latter question wjien. the full extent of the re-: lief required, is mado known. .