THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 8

THE UNEMPLOYED.

HARBOUR BOARD FINDING WORK. . OVER £45,009 TO BE SPENT. - ACTION BY THE CITY COUNOIL. The chairman of tie Wellington Harbour Board (Mr. IV M. Wilfordj M.P.), speaking ( at yesterdays said that there had ] been much discussion m tho press lately on i the necessity of . local bodies taking part in relieving the present condition of unomploy- 1 ment. -The qbard had seriously considered ' tho subject last Tuesday, when a great deal < of'time was devoted to settling what works < could be immediately prosecuted, so ; that the ( unemployment in tho city could bo Eomewhat relioved. That it could be entirely done , nway with by tho board was, of course, impossible. .The board had adopted a iscom- J mondation •of its Wharves and ; Accounts ' Committee which would entail the. pxpendi- < ture of a; considerable sutn of , money in the ] near future, and would show that ihe board : was not unmindful of the necessity of providing employment for those who really re- : quired it. This would not be unwarranted ' expenditure, as : the board only intended to push on as speedily as : possible tho construction of works which. were deemed necessary. These works would include the extension of the sea wall alonj; Waterloo Quay, which would run into .anything -between £25,000 and £30,000. : He could not state the amount as tenders would have to be oaOed. Then thore was the making of roads on the Waterloo Quay reclamation, and these roads would have to be metalled, and drains must be laid' and footpaths made. All this would be done by the board by day labour. It would be put in hand almost immediately, and would mean an expenditure of something like £8000. In connection with the oontract for the sea wall a oulvert would have to be-constructed, involving an estimated expenditure of, perhaps, betmeen £5000 and £6000. He ' was purposely - indicating these * sums ' vaguely because the work would' hava, to be contracted for. Plana had that day been SS? iJh, ncw - to cost about further, as soon as arrangements could be made for the hearing of the cases More the _ Conpensation Court; -in connection with tho land required by, the board at: iliramar, excavation .works to widen the cutting _and give access to the land at the back ■would be undertaken by tho board. The engineer, _ however, had pointed out "that a great deal of this excavation could not bo done tmtil a contract had been let for the construction of an outer sea wall, because the .spoil would have to, bo. put ■ into; the harbour, behind such a wall, for reclamation purposes. Every member of tho_ board;• was actuated by: the desire to relievo to sdme extent the unemployed difficulty, but in the exhad .outlined,'and to which the board had-agreed, there,was not a shilling that , was not recommended by the engineer as* necessary./. They were'only pushing on really necessary works. ' Mr. Flotchor said ho was glad to hear tho ohairman's. statement. ! The : new J shod was . required ,at once. In regard to the ' seawall. at , Miramar, ■ho thought plans should be prepared and tenders invited'immediately. 1 here were a great many -unemployed, and the local bodies should come to their assist- - i ra sh expenditure, but bv getting ahead with: necessary, works. He particularly hoped the J shed would be gone on _ with iat once, as it was needed very 1 badly, and' it would provide a great deal of employment. , Dr - Newman said .he was very glad'tho board was taking up this matter. Mooting the l unemployed, as he did, morning after morningj. hei realised the need for action. The City Council .was pushing on tho works to do constructed out or loan money. A loan 1 for Northland • was : carried tho other day, and tho council had a good deal or money to spend on water and sfewerago works. He wished, however, - that could be. done for the unemployed ciorks. There; was a considerable number of them, and, to get any 1 work for them to 1 0, W>-.-?2 IT matter indeed. •Ho hoped the Harbour Board would help, and he : knew the:; City Counoil was anxious to do so.. .If they could hang out until Sep. tembor, : tho position would not then; be., so acute,"; as work in. the country would bo moro plentiful.' . ';■.: _ Mr. J. W. .M'Ewaa said the local bodies should .da what they could to find work for tho unemployed, but that should not absolve the Government ■' from taking some share in this good work, for the Government to some extent, responsible for bringing. out to the Dominion a large number of people who were.'now out of . work.' ' -V ■ The resolutions referred to by the chairman, had been passed, by .'the board'in-com-mittee, .just before /he mado the statement reported above. They woro .as follow:—* That; fresh 1 tenders bo called for the, construction of the extension of con..orete sea wall at Waterloo Quay Re-' • clamation. North, and that the oontract •• •: shall include the construction of an ■ extension' of the Waterloo' Quay sewer • . ahd Of the Davis'.Street sewer; That the-,board's solicitors. bo: in- .. structod to co-operate with the Now Zea-. ...land Government law,officers-in stating • a case for the decision of the Supremo ■ Court regarding the extension of Davis, . Street 'culvert, and connection thoreof vnth t the- Waterloo, Quay culvert as to •the liaoility, ; pf r.the Railway- - Dopart- . meat, to' contribute to the.increased size '.culvert, ;fr°m .the junction with - tho Davis - Street culvort to' the; sea. ' ThaV the *. engineer he authorised to ■■ proceed ofc once with the construction of tho roads, drains, • and fobtpaths; at V atGr ! 00 Q ua y Reclamation North, and . that the work be done by day labour. • That- the engineer's plana -.and estimates for tho temporary : woolshed at the head of . the . King's "Wharf, be approved, ;the flooring to be of asphalt. 1