WOMEN AND THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 554, 8 July 1909, Page 3

WOMEN AND THE UNEMPLOYED.

MRS. NEWMAN'S MEETING. Twenty-five women made their way yesterday afternoon to the Concert Room of the Town Hall, casting interested glances as they passed through'the corridors at tho group of men irho wwe hanging about dolefully waitr ing to ask for work. It rather seemed a pity that this question of want of work, the most pressing question of the day, could not have attracted more women to the meotmg which Mrs. Newman had called for such a practical purpose, but at least it was found that the women who did go were workers. The object of the meeting was to raise money for an employment fund, and Mrs. Newman, in her opening speech, explained how necessary it was that work should be found for many men} especially for thoso who had wives and little children depending on them. It was not a case for charity. These men came looking for work, and, if by any means it could be provided they should get it. Other means of relief had been suggested—a soup kitchen, for instance, but work was what they wanted. , 'Mrs. J. P. Luke moved:—"That it is desirable to raise a fund to relieve the distress caused through ,tho unemployment difficulty in Wellington, and that a committee of the women here present be formed to put the matter in hand." Mrs. A'. R. 'Atkinson, who seconded the resolution, urged the necessity of teaching and practising thrift We were apt in good ■times to forget that,days of famine might come,-and when .they came they found people unprepared. She commended the American habit of teaching children to save their pennies. ' Sympathy was required in dealing with a matter of this-Lind, and she thought it'would bo necessary to'do all in their power to spread through tho community the desire to help these people who were so much in of a.woman in Wadestown, "where many of the residents are workingblk of small means," who proposed that a house-to-hoUso canvass should be made for ' small sums, feeling sure tbat the Wadestown folk would respond numerously. She did not think that money raised (as this fund was to be raised) in small donations from people of slendor purse's should bo regarded as an ordinary commercial man's capital. It should be realised that the main ■object was to spread tho benefit of it over ns many families as possible, and she hoped that it would be arranged to set aside the Arbitration Court's award in providing employment in (this case She also thought the pay should bo based on the value of tho work done, and that a man who "loafed" should not Necessarily bo paid as much as a more energetic neighbour. '

•Tie motion was carriedtiianimousry. ; ; 'Dγ;' Newman' gave a distressing acdount 'of theappeals -that '.were, daily made to him for work,' and said that; it was rery important; that',tne^men. shcruld Kelp' in this o mattery because' there;wai no doubt that', when it came, to ; the;matter; of electioneering or of providing: for;relief works .such as these,- the help there should 1 : be. ; a Government! subsidy : '. ; of pound I for pound,'; so; that'.every;, woman, who five, shillings. would ■' secure ten-, shillings ;to the.furid. , It was proposed, to; set .the; ihen at .excavations up at Victoria'Col-lege,,-.where, more,ground was urgently needed,; , : hospital grounds/ so that really the city would benefit greatly'-, by/the-work done.; 'least,'£looo; or-}£lsoo-'.should be raised by public subscript tipn.'* ■Hβ" tho'iaght that, so -far! the .'money hfid ; come and , he'noped to get 'a; .very >much larger amount during-the next - few days; "■ fie; also believed that the worst of the ;trouble wpuld 'berdvor by: September. ■;■" The toeeting;formed'itself into a.committee : to.raise funds, and several ladies undertook to, canvas's'.with' ; 'subscription.; : lists,;;some of; tbem : offering to do Tery : large areas.. Mrs. F. M. B;>Fisher- was secretary for the: committee. .Various offers of help- had; .been received in the way of giving entertainments, notably from Miss Hardinge-Maltby, Miss-Vafe, ■■'. Mrs. Foley, ;and the Garrison Band. Each'.of these offered to get up; some entertainment to benefit the fund/their offers being gratefully, accepted. -.' Beforethe/ladies dispersed,-seventeen .had , handed .in '-their, names'as collectors. ' : '. ..."-.".. /■'■.•.'