THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 8

THE UNEMPLOYED.

A CALL AT THE LABOUfI BUREAU;

188 BUSHFBLLING SCBEME. \^Ji^ f^aei twenty-one",; thirteen, forty-seven." It vas Mr.-W; J. M'Keown, officer, in,charge of the Labour Bureau; at 11 ttunter , btreet, who. was reading off the'numbers of, men who had called, to, look, for work on each-day; of ■'last week/ "There :is hot so pig. a rush;as there was last August,'!>he\eontinned.. We used to get 140 a day thon,»>but. J™e were a lot if immigrants arriving about tnat tune, and. a great many came in merely to Now, there are com-' paratively few immigrants, while some of the local men have been found employment, and Borne hare left the district." ; In the scanty intervals between the visits of the, unemployed, Mr. M'Keown gave the £ further i ? forma ti<"i- Since the bOTernmeafs eoheme qf finding work at bnsh-SuiS^-^l an ?? ,lnoed ' a Sooi many men and came in.from the conntry and regkared their.names. The scheme would aplSrenUy be, of considerable benefit in reliev&gthe situation in the sawmiUing districts. Hβ reoeived to date, JSLfy™- A IOO men t™* tbe Wellington dietnct would be prepared to wield theVe W;^' J the f™?!? 7663 of the State. Of ffiSi' 1 t. d ■"?'•'^< ,,, ttftt o" t* o66 " h ° oiaimed to.have had experience in the bush were reaUy competent men, but it w Z essential that all should bo drilled in this phrhcukr. class,of labour. Where buehfelfrag was going on, scrub-cutters: were always r<? qnirea, and, moreover, the men would probably work in gangs of four or five on the oooperatrye system, so that if the new chums ™£m'ttt T 'J 68 * men tJiey would :all be able to. knock ont a Irving without undue danger to lifo and limb. The men would be able to form .themselves into gangs according, to their own choice. This system was_ carried out. a few years .ago, ,and Mr. MKeown recollected incidentally that the sinoa snccessfulof the workers; and, 1 , after completing his .contract, walked all the way from Waimanno to Wellington. Applicants at , the bureau are asked to £01 in a form, with name and address, age, condition as. to marriage,: number of aependents, how , long unemployed, trade, experience, and other particulars. Most of them acquiesce without demur, but now and. then,an applicant considers hineelf insulted when, the form is pltuxsd before, him. Mr. M'Keown tells of one who, os soon ae hesaw'it, put his refusal into unprintable language, and flung' himself' out of the door.. Mi. MKeown called after, him: ■ Give us your/name at least, or I can't do anything for you," bat tte man was gone. As one who, m the course of a varied career has known what it is to look for work, .Mr. MTCeown knows that unemployment does 'not make • Christian virtues and polite manners come easy, , and he makes allowances. heard buehfelling applicants at' the bureau,advised to come again on Tuesday, the reporter.- went . along to the' Lands Department to. enquire how soon, the blocks of bush land would be.ready for the Labour .Department. to. send up:the mon. Hβ learnt that communications were passing between the Un-der-Seoretary and tho Commissioners of Crown Lands for the various districts as to what areas could be made available for the purpose. No doubt seemed to be entertained as to the possibility of setting apart sufficient bush country for the purpose. The idea of settling the men on the land after clearing it was mentioned,, but it was gathered.:that no sneh extension of the scheme is contemplated. OFFICIAL REPORT. , 'MEN ASSISTJSDDTJBING MAY. .The!•following, table relating to the unemployed who obtained work through the Labour Department in the, sonthern part of the Wellington District during the month of May is taken from , the," Journal of the Department of Labo.ur":— . ']'y ':■■■■■'.'■ '.•''■■-.■■■■ aß' 'I'" '•■ ■■"■.■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 5 H 'J'. ;-■■ . '■ -' ' ' g"*' §' 'Occupation. .• ' ■ I -t'H ; •I ' : ■■■■■■ ■■;.■ -.- ■•■■■■ I'/ Islai ■ ' '■■■■ J'l-11l Hl-11-VlayftlHi ~ ~ 2 1 6 — 3 ~., ■~,..;/.;...,",,,, L —. J. J . Cabinetmakers. ' — l — l\_ Carponters and joinere«. '63 24 5 4 Clerks ......„„...__: 1 1 1' 2 - Cooks ......... „... 2 13 1 2 Coopers „.„ 1 — i 1 _ Engineers ..__.„..;__.. 1 3 14 — Farm bands .__ 5 17 12 22 — Grooms and gardeners ... — I •'— 1 — Hotel hands — l —.'. l — Machinists (letterpress)... —. 1 1 1 — Painters and paperhangers ..._. 5 1 18 2 i Station hands ....„._._.. 1 l i 2 — Surveyors ....... — 1 — 1 — Upholsterers ~, — l — i _ Labourers : ;... ;.: 87 W 80 43 Totals „_;.,..„_.. 60 122 in 126 56 Dominion totals 180 465 521 387 '258