THE UNEMPLOYED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 6

THE UNEMPLOYED.

DEPUTATION TO ACTINC-PRIME MINISTER. "WE ALL FEEL THE PINCH." , iWifh a view .of ascertaining the exact position in regard to the Government subsidy for relief works, a deputation representing tho Citizens' Unemployment Committee waited upon tho Actrng-Primo Minister (Hon. J. Carroll) yesterday, Mr. J. P. Luke, M P., who introduced the deputation, said that the committee's schomo had given relief to a large number of tho unemplojcd, but thoio was still a number for whom it was desired to make provision. It was pioposcd that, in addition to tho work in thoiVictona College grounds, other works should bo'put in hand. One of these works was tho construction of a road from tho top of "Constable Street across the Town Belt to tho Signal Station on Mount Victoria. Tho plans for this work had been prepared, but up till now no money had been available for it. If necessary the work of constructing tho road oould commence within a few days. At a later date tho proposed road could bo widened, and trees planted on either side,' thus giving a fine cai riage drive Another work vvhich might bo gone on with just now was a recreation ground at tbe rear of Moxham Avenue, Kilbirnie. It might bo dono with tho aid of a Government subsidy It was to tho advantage of tho Government that such a ground should be constructed because if a sdhomo of univcrsil mditary training wero adopted grounds would be required. The Basin Reserve t would not long be available for training or' recreation purposes, because eventually the-trams must go through it. Mr. T\ M. B Fisher, M P., who was the next speaker, said that the work at Victoria College would only "entail an expenditure of £700 outsido and £400 msidc. Of that amount tho Government subsidy would be £550. Seeing that at the Victoria Collego the' city was assisting tho Government in carrying out works in which tie Government was concerned, tho Government should assist the city in doing works which would bo useful to it.

Mr. K. C. Kirk, chairman of the Wellington ahd Wairarapa Charitable Aid Board, stated that it was evident the distress was moro acute in Wellington than elsewhere. As Victoria, Collego was badlj m need of additional diss rooms, it had been suggested that if the Government would find the material the committee would find the labour. , The Hon. C. M. Luko,. ML C chairman of the Hospital Trustees, mentioned that the oxcavations in connection with tho proposed fever hospital would cost approximately £2000 It would bo a good thing if the Government anticipated its contribution by setting aside, say, £5001 for the work, which would absorb some of tho workless i Some figures were given by Mr G Willis; secretary to the fund. The number of applicants foi work on the books was, he said. 430. Of that number forty had been found employment, and another forty would bo given woik nott week. Thero were at least 300 men, including 150 married men with families, who had had on tho average three weeks' work during the last three months. For a number of weeks past a great many single mon had drifted into the city. Mr. G. London mentioned that he had a

promise of a substantial contribution to tho fever hospital fund>if tho Government subsidy was to be given for the work now to bo clone It was estimated by him that tho excavation works on the site would absorb thp labour of seventy-five men for three months Mr. R A. Wnght r M V , put fraward the suggestion'that the Government might spend its promised £2000 subsidy on Victoria College, and allow the Citizens' Committee to oxpend the amount it received in donations on city funds Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald emphasised the desirability of the Government making its subsidy more elastic, in view 06 the uigonoy of the situation. , Tho Acting-Prime Minister, in reply, said that it appeared that only £1100 could be expended on the! work at Victoria College The Government, ho continued, might see fit to expend the balanco of the subsidy at Mount Cook, where it had 80 acres upon which a lot of excavation required to bo done. It 1 had also been decided to make certain alterations to the Legislative Council Chamber, which would give employment to a number of workers, including from 20 to 30 carpenters Mr. Fisher asked when tho work would bo put in hand. Mr., Carroll: As soon as we can get iti ready. Mr. Fiiher: The plans for the proposed extension's L at Victoria College would involve an expenditure of £3000 If the Government put in hand work of that nature it would tend to solve the whole difficulty Mr. Carroll- It is not only the unemployed who ''feel tho pinch, wo all feel it (Laughter) * During the course of further remarks, Mr Carroll said that' caro ought to bo taken not to offer too much encouragement to people from 'outside to drift into tho city "You want to earmark those who come in," he added > 1 Mr Wright mentioned that it had been de : cided i'tnat "the': : .money' should •'■only., b'e.t'expe'hded ; 'bn bona' fide v l > . ',': '.'.■' ' : : . ■'- .', :'ln'-'conclttsion ; :Mr. Carroll stated that he ! would: calli Cabinet '^together'to; 'consider the proposals. might.,be expected next Pm&%&t}A^y : - :';^^- ! ',:.v..v-;;.<:'.« ; "' ■ 'vv^ff'ANOfHERABAtLOT>TO-bAY;'.';;'." v ;. \ :'; a'ni^the^ner^ '/< :' The': basement of ;the1 Town Hall,will be the.. 'scene: of another .ballot'!this afternoon,'.when . 3p;inen">ivill:be dra\vn.from.the;ranks of : the, "unemployed;for.the:purpose ,of startTng work. ■ --'on ' the 7 Mount {.Victoria ißoa.d' oh. / Monday morning: ■! It:is'.'expected;thai. a dozen.or.'so: '. .men.'-willbo..employed;pu theVHo'spital Trus-. : 'tees'. ■ section^adjoining..Victoria,-:College ■ dur-: - ing .'the\Course';'of the:.'next,'few(days.'.-Four:' '. tree-planters iwere, directed to' the; .Harbour

'the ■: committee 'yesterday..',' after--I noon; the':boafd-i"h'avingi-fpund-'certam;,oleah-! ;ing' ; 'up';'ahd trimming,work .'whichkas'/td';be' , done,m, its .reserve, near. Karaka.-Bay.,. Sey,-; ■ .bVal'.bther men'yhave'been -found employment' : ;at;'gardeningSand -such, work\whichVprivate citizens have; placed;in Hand to; help, relieve , ..the,; distress.'■; It•;is v .hoped 'to'."start knothor; ■ ten',men yon;.the' Victoria/College works,'.'in ; .tne';course ; bf ,a : few' days.; '"By .Monday next 'about' .100 men will 'be'working," and;'the gr'eater'.'numbW'.; of men-with, large .familiesfdepeudent-.'on 1 - them ..will.'have; been 'provided.'-for.'' Giving the men ('emplpy- ■ me'ntior alternate week's, 20J) men',will really: ; ;• be: 'working' under'.'the "committee,, which. > leave's.:2ls'.still''uhprbVided for... ■'~ :', ;' .. '....Until' 'the comnlittee receives- from; ■the ;Acting-Prime- Minister in /reference"to ■; -;its'.application .for 'an \ extension of ■ the <s'ub,sidy ;|o. 'works'-other than Victoriav College, '■ 'nothing further can.be' done. It is .hoped, .' 'j however, to have another 50 men working.by i the middle .of-next-week; , v' .-> . : " ; -:■'•." •

:'' ; VTKd'Vroad:;wd : rk M fromrCdnsteble';Stireet , 'to" Victoria;'-; -which 'is to commence on Mp'ndayJ.Will be under the .direction of Mr.; ■ Patersori;l'ofT.the'citv -engineer's staff. y-Jliv, ':■Patß^Sbn^ ; ■hßs;'/'go't ;works going-satisfactorily now. '~. .'..• ~ •"'Mr. ; :Willisdistributed a.numberof collect-' amongst.the .-hotels, yesterday.; It as hoped •to;supplement the fund considerably'by Yfcnese collections-.. 1 .-■ ■ ■■■''";'.■'•/ -.■-.■ ■'■' -.', • • -■The total number of men- on tho ;uneniployed• lisf to;date;is ; 415.:- -The.secretary of : committee'; has interviewed each of these .men'•'■'personally.' at least "once, and has. been. impre^B^/by''theigennineness of, the.cases. Not one. of. the applicants ;has' : called at. the office'the 'worse forliquor, and,, in every, instance where'work :has been offered, it. has 'been accepted eagerly. ,v; ; )■_■'■'. ; ;,/',;■; .;;..■.-.

THE MOUNTAIN ROAD,

;'-: ; -':■ ;rwo; birds*with pne/stone.•' : Tne ; mountain road scheme, on which .the Relief .Committee proposes to, start thirty men on -Monday nest, is-one which;, may induce citizens' who have, not yet contributed •to the -Relief Fund to dig deep. into their pockets and help:; It will provide-.'■ employ.ment,, and,;at the same time/ give, the city a -very picturesque walk ;'or' drive. The original suggestion, and one which the City Council .Reserves Committee, has bad in view, was to carry a road - from Constable, Street along the top of the hill : until the Mv

Victoria signal, station was' reached... At a very slightly inoreas'ed expenditure '(so an expert states) it would ,be possible' to continue tho road down tbo\ hillsido. from tho top where the tunnel to. KiTb'irnie passed underneath, sloping the 'road, down to the north, and then back alongside tho recreation ground, at the back - of Rixou Grove, and coming out on to Pirio Street at the entranco to the tunnel. CITY COUNCIL LABOURERS' PAY. THE FORTNIGHTLY SHEET; Proof that tho'City Council',is doing 'all A can to help the unemployed'is found m the'fortnightly pay-sheets of the ■•■'council's engineering department,-which sheets apply separately-to manual,labourers. There aro at'present 1 , nearly 140 more labourers in the employ of the council than there wcro for the same'period last year. For the fortnight ended July. 13 last, £3277 Bs.-10d, was paid out, the figures for the same two weeks last year being £2536 0s; 7d.* For'the fortnight, up-to Tuesday last; 643 men were-employed, as' against. '608' for .the corresponding fortnight' last' year. ','."< .•■'', WADESTOWN ROAD IMPROVEMENTS. •••''4ciTY. GRANT £200. %.; ■ The suggestion • made by ;the Unemployed Relfef'Committee with /'reference to. the; improvement of- the Wadestown Road was .brought.forward /by the- Mayor last night. His Worship explained to the .council ; that an offer had/ been made, by .'the' committee, that,they would contribute' : £loo towards : the cost,of improving the Toad, and Mr. Geo; ; Nash;''..would-,!guarantee ..another £100 if the'council would subsidise the total with another .£200.-. His "Worship, was of opinion ;blEer was a good one, //and should be accepted;-and, /after a : short' discussion, it-was' .decided; to': subsidise to the extent of/ £200 -as, suggested. •'■,'■..'■'.. •;./•.•:''• MOUNT VICTORIA ROAD AUTHORISED: The, council also agreed' to authorise .the construction of a : 10ft.'track-from Constablo Street.':to; \ the Mount. -Victoria' 6ignal v station/.as suggested :b'y the Relief Committee, the work to he supervised. by the Engineer. : , The.Mayor's action in "authorising Mr. W. H. Morton and Mr. A.' Pateison to supervise tho relief norks at Victoria College was approved. SUBSCRIPTIONS. Funds are mounting up slowly but surely, the bank account up to yesterday' being £691. in addition to wliich the secretary has £50 in hand. The latest donations are:— £ s. d. | Per Mrs. A. R. Atkinson— s Mrs. Cleland . I Martin and Atkinson ... • ...,220 1 A. R. Atkinson, 5 0 0 Mrs. Denton ... , i 0 2 0 Anonymous 5 '5 0 An unemployed relief fund has been started at tho Petone Railway Workshops, and already over £60 has been collected. ■ IN CHRfSTCHURCH. (By' Telegraph.—Press ABsoolatipn.) ' -> .Chrlstchurch, July 15. At tho Trades Hall to-day there was an avorago number of callers. Amongst them was a man who has been out of. work for two nonths, with tho excoption of one week's irork under the City Council. He has ten lersons dependent on him. Out of forty nen, whoso names appear on tho latest ■xisted list at the City Council offices, thirteen have 'to date applied-for the work jffered. /, _; , -Mr. J. Lomas, chief,inspector of factories, ivho was in town to-day, informed a "Press" representative that the Government are lomg Qverything I possiblo to relieve tho un-"" imployment existing in the Dominion. This ivas borne out, he added, by numbers for whom employment had been found. As far is ho knew, tho men engaged on the bushfelling work were satisfied with tho conditions under which they wero working. Referring to tho passengers by the Athenic, Mr. Lomas pointed out that none of them were assisted by the State excopt farmeis, farm labourers, and domestics. The Mayor has instituted inquiries from the municipal authorities in, Wellington on tho subject of. the basis on j.which the Government aro subsidising funds raised for tho relief of the unemployed, but,\ so far, has received, no reply. f ■ POSITION AT AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, July 15. There is no chango in the unemployed position to-day, though, /on tho whole, fewer men aio calling at the local office. Up to last night, 148 men, had registered thqir names Of these, 49 were married, 1 with 155 dependents, and 99 wcto single In about a foitnight's time tho post office works will bo sufficiently _ advanced to afford employment to a considerable number of extra men. " > , i