THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 558, 13 July 1909, Page 6

THE UNEMPLOYED.

RUBH FOR fHE CQLLECE WORKB,

FORTY MEN ..ENGAGED,

'Tio sbordtary of ,tho Relief Committco,had a; strenuous day yesterday dealing with tho rush of applicants' for employment on the Victoria College works. From early, morning to lato in tho afternoon .a efcroam of.'workless pooplfl invaded the ecoretary's office, tho procession being strengthened by a, number of fresh, applicants. •' Tho singlo mon were.a* vised-that there was not work for them at present, but- they, wore .instructed ,to watch •tho nowspapors for a call, and, failing getting any satisfaction from this source, to wait on the secreta™ again on Thursday or Indajy whom something further may have been deoided on. Married men, whoso.names were not already on tho list were informed that they had •no , prospect of' gotting , employment in the first batch of men put on the' College grounds, but they wore advised to oations at'onco. The third Class dealt with was tho married men .with' families dependent on them, and who had already placed ..their names on ■ tho list. : These men, numbering "about 60, wero advised. to gather ■ at the Town Hall at 12.30. By the tirno.the 60 men reached the Town Hall each :had; an .escort of two;or three friendsj .until th<s .total eomblage numbered close/on'a couplo of hundred. ' Tho married men, wero .drafted' ■ out from, the- others, ond-tb.e eligibles;for the first bateh proceeded' to the ■cellar..; of .the Town flail,' where "a 1 ballot/was held. .The names*ofall preeentpwefe.taken,and placed in a. box, the men appointing; their own scrutineers. ■ Twenty-five names were , drawn, and the luoky ones were .handed over.to' Mr. Patterson, of.the City Engineer's.staff. Mr. Patterson immediately, drafted ten men out of the batch, and sent them off in various directions to collect (material wbiobi will, be needed before the work: can be 'started this morning;.. The., other, fifteen were informed thai* they ; would. start :work' on the- College grounds this.mornirig. '■ Another ballot for fif-, teen more was drawn,;and the men were in-structed-to report'themselves'rt'the College grounds at 8. o'olock;to-morrow. morning. , In the meantime' every.'icffort is to ;be made .to put "more inen on. the College works, but to-morrow -.night's' meeting.' of the . General Committee -will .bayo^tb^^consider.•■. further, works;'"' ..>'.,■:,-/;•■ > . ; ■;''''■,■'■:■■■.*■'■■ ±: l'i'^: : . ■"■,•■'.-:"'■ l ■ Mr, "■ Wv D." Miehie:haß-been' appomted,fore?, mail of works',; arid will fact un-, directipiiis ofMr.-Pattersp.ny.i.of the'corporation engineering.staff.,.; The.men will, be'paid.on'Wednesday of.each ; week. ; '.". .TheiPjiblio.Works Depaftmentihas'come % the' rescue.of the committee:ia in regard ,tb; Eiec'uring picks', etc., , for .the workmen.'. The Department has placed the. necessary picks, shovels,,f wheelbarrows,: etc.; at' the disposal of the 1 committee.;' ■ ■'■ \ The total nuniber of applicatipns'for work, received up to yesterday 1 afternoon;was 315. ' It/will Ve'rememßorey that-the Governmehb .dffered-'£- for-' £ up'; to £2000, with .regard'/ to. :.the/,relief' : '. works at '.'Victoria * College. ■' .'As. it is;improbable- that'the..whole of the. : amountvwul' sought'-te;^^connection .with : 'the .%'ork'sy ithe Aoting-Primei Minister , :(Hon:':- Ji. Carroll); : ';,was- asked., yesterday !whetKer.the : balance .could'be applied.to any other- works inaugurated by the; committee'. In'reply. Mr".'.Carrol] etatedthat the subsidy applied only to.;thei,work\.at, the;:eollege.,. If applic'atioh'weremadein.connection with ;ahy other works' promoted by the; committee ; it would,be on its'/merits. , ' ; ' '" IN THEfcduftTßV DISTRICTS^;V V informant, recently ;been on'- a; visits.to/''the.*ooMnibry,iddstHcte. -stateii;,- to,' a (Dominion irepor.ter' fhat-.tKe.-e.■ are a. large number, of • people ■walking-.vabotit l the ';■ ;proX vince, , . many, ofrtfcra. Keing-'in a.:destitute (3oriditiori,' ; andhaying; ; n6thinß;in. the .world .but'tbAi.pk)th'es-,th€y/-.worei:. : -.(rney/oannot get work) /as'-there ■i's ; ..v.ery little;, offering. ; Some, of- the ...wanderers,. ■havo;:no''',sw,agß,; Dut,,they walk- from.. .village to' vi/lage'.seeking-worky and-picking up ameall where, they- <an;'.-'lf' . there'is. an .old: house: ore, shed i,anywhere :in ; ' the- distrjot.it, is frequented ..night. after night ! by; homeless proletariats, ..'who are ■ glad of any: shelter/at all.' ■'■ In. spfa- of:.the' common and T .welliineantvadvjco.to. ; country .-and , : work';-.employment isveye'ry;',. bit. , as soarce,in",the.country in-the'town.!but the, cry • of. the; : ■ unemployed- -is not; heard-. so much'■■•■m--.- the-country. .districts, , . ';as,-.the , , mon. aire"scattered,over aviw.ide'areai-;'/.'!A. ..great proportion of .the men in ; the country arc single youn'g'fellows," concluded ournnformant, "and 1 can tell you that they look ver\ forlorn and dejected as they tramp tho sodden roads " > l BUSH WORK. Referring to the largo bushfelhng contract in the Waimarama which Mr G P Donnelly has just let. the Acting-Prime Minister (Hon J Carroll) says —' K more of our settlers could be found to go in for similar I development work it would greatly assist the Government in solving tho unemployed problem" ; SUBSCRIPTIONS. The latest subscription acknowledged b> the secretary of tho committee is £2 2s from Mrs Humo Tho bank account now stands at £485 3s 6d , in, addition to which the :■' secretary has between £16 and £17 jn hand ; The following amounts have boon , received at The Dominion Offioe — , W- ■:-'• "T"f S 8 Aiionymous ° u JJ Organ-grinder's mito o At a meeting of the office-bearers of St John's Church, tho Rev Dr Gibb presiding, it was unanimously decided that retiring collections in aid of the unemployed fund bo taken up next Sunday morning and 'eyenrng. _,

<.;AT RETPNE;

■' ■-;DeaMngvwith'/itb.ei ■ un'e.'mployment'. difficulty. : ; a't:lait"night's-meeting'-of : ;th'dvPet;6ne: Bdr-. ■pugh- v 'Gouncili'. '■thf'. , Mayor... (Mr. ':.■.Jt. W.. 'M'Ewan) i'¥emarke3 ''thatvUext, dayy eightv'orj •nine : '.inen^ould"be 'given iwere yet. a'number;' oufcpf '. work,r particularly; sUgle' taen', , 'and; i r 'heV'Vso'uld ■••like- it -known; generally;'. v. residents''-of,.' 'Hutt i: ana': Hdtdne;.if.^theyfdiSsired;'to' tov.any-'. "one,' could men' would'be-, sent alPpg■'■tol-j.tnein.• ?'■'\ ,. ■- ; r; .Councillor.: Piper :. ; If r <;privatei:'subscriptions. .a^.Tdß^''md ! nanded. :: 'council, would 'they 'bearVa' Gbvernmeht, siibsidy?' '■'"<.' "■•■■' : i ■"'.'•' : -.' ■•■■",;.' : '.'.''-' : '■■'■"■■^'■" , ' - wpuld , vhaTe.to i go; ■through':■l^Charitable;;Aid "will■ .see'.the.chairman.-.'>.''-.'.'.' f 'A. .. '■•■,• 'V'.'. '■,-.-., .:'Councillor' ereriing; presided over by>>Mr;/W'-.ißj'.uoiign, ■ the::sum : i of ■ th'ree.;guineas>.was ;yoVed' ;unemplpyment 'fund. ;;£"'■ ■'7 ; Vv : -';'*'-; ; '''V;:'■„■■'•

MOSGIEIiRAityAy'WORKS;

: : It- has • been decided: tha'tj the' additional: men to- to put 'on ,the. Mosgiel .railway dupii-, cation'-works near vDunedm\shall! be ;local; residents.- The; Hpn^: for, Labour): has, 'given instructions, to. increase "thpnumber:of-.handßi to.one;.hundred.. ; if there are : sufficient.necessitpus.cases. He adds thatno. more: than- that ■; number, jcould, bo works-at-this: ;time;of-.the;-yearr'"'.v: ■;*■■- ;.;:~;v;';-',>•..

position #r napjer;

'■-'•i- , : '• \[;. .'; •■" '•-'■'■'■ ■ ■';■ ':.:■-' -; •.. Vv J , '' , ' 12.- '' '';;At■■ ar publio:. meeting:'bo-night an: animated discussion, took; i^ce. .'the, actual-extent of unemployment m thp;borough..'Tho,Jlayor, (Mr- 1 J- Vigor Brown; IVl.P;),said that,% ■number:of : desprvWg cases among-Napier vlr,qsidDiits,, was , n6t:,large.. Some speakfere expressed : coiitrary.;viows. v ; Eventually: a qom-mittee'-of .nine':citizons.:was.set, : u E to aflof icifses of distress.; .: ' ■-./■'.-■' ,";.* V .7.'.V: J ...-./'.'

i REUEP WORKS AT: CHRISTCHURCri. ':; .; :' -.; '. : -i'chrißtchurchi?JulyU2. ; ; Th e . City Council ■to-night>resolvedto i continue the relief works For. the unembloyed' for another fortnight.:: It ms. stated- that at' Wellington the' Relief, Committee _was recpiving-,aV£ for: ,£ : subsidy. Tho: Mayqr : jttomifled;tb niaio inaiunes,,. ■-.■ •;;■.-- . ■ ;,■