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WAR DISTRESS

DEALING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF COMMITTEEMEN OUT OF' WORK URGED TO REGISTER. The Mayor (Mr. J. p. Luke) presided at a- meeting of tho Distress and -Unemployment Committee, in connection with t'lio war, held in tho Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Thoso present were: Councillors J. Godber, L JU'Kcnzie, R. A. Wright, H. Buddie, W. J. IJiompson, T. C. A. Hislop, Messrs. L. a n %?, rd 3 H - Moston, William A. G-renrell, P. Fraser, R. Fletcher, and ill. C. Jack.

Iho Mayor said that there was not very much business to do, but he had called tho meeting to put forward tho suggestion that a subcommittee should be appointed that would meet every day, or every two days, to deal with any cases of distress that might arise. Up till Thursday the .conditions had boon all but normal, but yesterday there had been a little- more movement, and he wished to be in a position to deal with cases of distress as they occurred. So far absolutely no money had been paid out of the fund (which amounted to ■am 19s. 6d.). In the matter of dealing with casts of unemployment, he oxpressed appreciation of what the Labour Department was doing. That Department was doing all in its power to meet the conditions that were arising. Men had been employed on . various •works around the oity and in the country. Ho had received a letter from Mr. J. W. M'Ewen (Mayor of Petone) pointing out that some cases of distress had come' under his notice, but as the local distress fund had only amounted to a few pounds they had not been able to do much. Ho asked that the amount subscribed by the Petone Railway Workshops and ior\vaided to tho Mayor of Wellington's Patriotic Fund, be transferred to the Petone Distress Fund. Mr. M'Ewan mentioned tho case of an Imperial Reservist, whose family needed assistance owing to tho' breadwinner haying been called on for service. Tho Mayor also read'a letter from Archdeacon Harper, mentioning the case of an Imperial Reservist who had just arrived in the Dominion, and had been called to the colours. The Mayor moved that the following committee bo 'appointed for daily consultation (or whenever required):—Councillors R, Fletcher and W. H. P. Barber, the Rev. W. A. Evans (chairman of tho Hospital and Charitable Aid Board), Messrs. E. C. Jack (Farmers' Union), W. A. Grenfell (Employers' Association), J. M. A. Rearden (Trades and Labour Council), 'and H. Moston (Labour Department). The motion was carried unanimously.

Imperial Reservists. Mr. D. M'Laren suggested that it, might bo possible to get a list of the Imperial Reservists in Wellington who had been summoned to sorvo, in order that thoir circumstances might be inquired into. The chairman said that he understood that they wore to receive the colonial rate of pay.. . ■ Mr. .M'Laren remarked that even that pay, 4s. a day, was hardly enough to support a wife aJid family, in view of tho high rents and cost of living obtaining in Wellington. It was decided - that the amount of £17 17s. collected at tho Pet-one- Workshops'bo transferred to the Petono Distress Committee. . ' I

Trade Conditions. Mr. H.Moston (Labour Department) said that up to last week the caJlers for work at the ■■■> Department's -bureau had-'been normal,'but thero' had : boon an increase this week. Up to yesterday there had been 10! callers this week, 22 'skilled.-'and 79 unskilled,.workers, and of those 40 had been assisted to work .of vai icus kinds. There was sufficient work in the country, but it was difficult to find work in town, and, as many of the men had wives and families, they could not very well leave town to accept a small wage in the country. There was some work in view in town, which promised' a likelihood of placing then. Two of .the applicants were commercial travellers with excellent credentials. Thero was a considerable' amount of farm work and a number of milkers wanted in the country, but it-was useless sending up men who had no knowledge of that class of work at all, and tho majority of the applicants did not know anything about farming. Hβ urged that all the unemployed should register their names at the Department's bureau, so that they would know how many were actually in want of work.- There had been twice as many callers this week as during last week. A number of them were men who had just finished up on contracts and had not been able to pick up other work owing to the exigencies of the war'.

• Work in Prospect. The Mayor remarked, in reply to a question from Councillor Thompson, that the Council had authorised a lot of gorso-grubbing work, and at the council meeting on the previous evening other, works had been authorised. The rates would soon be coming in freely, and men would be able to bo employed in' such a manner that the city would get a good return from the money spent. In another three or four woeks the wool would' be coming in, and there would be more work on the wharves. Councillor Godber said that the money had been subscribed to relieve distress caused through tho war, and they would have to differentiate between ordinary cases of distress and those arising from the war. ■' .' Mr. P. Fraser said that there was a blind feeling of discontent in some quarters. Several men had called on him to know if thero was anything doing, and in reply to a question had answered that they did not know where "to register. He suggested that an advertisement might be inserted in the papers asking men out of work to register at the Labour Department's bureau. With respect to what Mr. Godbor had said it might be very difficult to differentiate. A man might finish on a contract, and not be able to get other work because most building proposals had been suspended on. account of the war. Again he urged registration in order to ascertain the nature and extent of the problem.

Councillor T. C. A. Hislop inquired about the Guild of Service. He understood that this committee was going to hand over its business to a 6oft of Social Guild. The Mayor said he had attended a meeting of tlie proposed guild. Hβ had always said tliat they would welcomo the machinery of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board in their work. That was why ho had proposed that t'ho Rev. W. A. Evans should be a member of the committee. The administration of the fund would be carried out by this committeo, but it would welcome the co-operation of others.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140919.2.43.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,111

WAR DISTRESS Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 8

WAR DISTRESS Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2259, 19 September 1914, Page 8

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