THE UNEMPLOYED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 9

THE UNEMPLOYED

MORE QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE DISMISSAL OF CIVIL SERVANTS I A request that tho Acting-Leader of ' the House should make a statement concerning the steps that were being taken by tho Government to deal with unemployment was mode in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Mr. 11. E. Holland (Buller). The member suggested that the Government ought 'to provide productive work for every unemployed man and woman." Thu unemployed problem was exceedingly acute, and there was great suffering in New Zealand. > Tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, in reply, Said that he was quite prepared to answer the question fully, but to do so would! involve covering lot of ground, and he thought it would be more convenient if the question went on the Order Paper. It could then bo answered 'thoroughly. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) suggested that the Minister of Railways should arrange for the issue of free railway passes to unemployed people who were ' proceeding to work. Air. Guthrie replied that there was no ; difficulty' about the arrangement of transport for men who were being sent to employment by the Government labour bureaux. Orders were issued l by the departmental officers, and tho people who used them for railway travel were expected to pay back the money later. But he did not suppose that in 25 per cent, of the cases the Government got the money back. He could not undertake any general system of free travel for people who said they were proceeding to work. Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) told the members of the House that he had been visited during the day by two Civil Servants who had received notice of dismissal. One was a man with twenty years’ service on the permanent staff. Ho had seven children. The other was a woman with seventeen and a half years’ service. She supported two members of her family. She was within five years of superannuation age, and tho man was also within a year or two of superannuation age. They had been given notice of dismissal, and informed that the money they had paid into the superannuation fund would be returned to them. Mr. Mitchell suggested! that this was very harsh treatment,' and ask-, ed the Acting-Leader of the House to look into the matter. If staffs had to bo reduced, tho notices of dismissal should go to young people, who could make their way in other branches of employment. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie said that tho ■matter was one entirely for the Public Service Commissioner. He knew nothing of the cases, but if he were fur- ’> nished with the names ho would have inquiries made. The member might not be fully informed of the facts. CIVIC LEAGUE’S RELIEF FUND i ' DISTRESSING APPEALS RECEIVED. The chairinan of the Civic League announced yesterday that'-tho total amount received to date in response to the league’s appeal was .£lOOO. The number of men registered nt the Municipal Labour Bureau was 209, of whom 47 men with 147 dependents had been put on work as follows:—Vogeltown Road, 28; Hutt Roal, 6; 'Wilton Road’, 12. A further 19 men were being put on yesterday. ' “The appeals from those not yet successful are most distressing,’’ ho said, "and I trust the fund will be very Ihkgely augmented so that a larger number of men with families can he provided for at, once. There are thousands of people'in the city to-day who have not yet contributed and who are in a financial position to do so. I ask those who have, to soften their hearts and out of their abundance to give a little to provide work for those who have not.” Speaking of the attitude of som'o Labour lenders towards the fund, Mr. Mitchell said: "Vie appreciate the attitude taken by tho Furniture Trade Union and other unions who are, in a practical way, helping their own members now unemployed, and who sympathise with the Civic League in its effort to provide for those not otherwise provided for. We wish them every success. Wa can only hope that Mr. Roberts will put his national scheme into, operation at once. In the meantime we are trying to help those of our own now in distress. My letter to the unions, •' the repeated statements in tho Press, and 1 the list of subscribers plainly state that the appeal is to everyone, rich or poor, and that some Labour leaders should continually state otherwise shows that they are makihg mis-statements for some motive of their own. If some official Labour lenders will not help the unfortunate helpless, whoso wives and children are in want, they should at least have the decency to keep silent and not hinder those who are hones-ly trying to do so.”

SIXTY-TWO MEN ENGAGED IN CITY ,

NUMBER REGISTERED, 269. | The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright) exhibited a tabulated statement yesterday which showed that on Thursday the number of unemployed who had been given work op the various road jobs in and about the ' city numbered 47. These had 147 relatives dependent on them for a livelihood The number engaged was to have been’ augmented by 15 yesterday. In all, 269 unemployed men had registered for work at the corporation yards, Clyde Quay. , . A. Wellington merchant who inquired as to the actual position expressed some surprise lit the poor response to the invitation to enrol after all the publicity which had been given the matter. to me ” ho said, “tho whole thing savour’s of exaggeration. I do not say that there are not unemployed and cases ol hardship, but has there over been a time in a city tho size of Wellington when there had not been 200 or .300 men out Of work, a large proportion oy their own folly, habits, or hard luck? It is good, however, to seo that the city has be.n able to raise some money to push on .with ono of the loan works. , Unemployed are engaged on the Hutt Road (clearing away tho slips), tho 4 »i--ton Road (at Wadestown), and on ordinary corporation maintenance • CO-OPERATIVE JOKERS OBJECTORS ON THE VOGELTOWN f ’ JOB. On Thursday a few of the unemployed who had been set to work digging on the new Vogeltown-Brooklyn road did ' not take kindly to the hard task, and threw- it up after a few hours. Whilst the work is hard—all pick and shovel work in new country is hard—there was no compulsion for tho men to proceed at any defined speed, though reasonable progress was e.xpectcd. To show that the terms arc reasonable -tho work is on the co-operativo plan. SO much for every yard of earth shifter tho city engineer (Mr. M. Ji. Mor <' stated yesterday that some, of were making 14s. a day. Clerks tailms. and 'Other# accustomed to similar work

could not be expected to earn as much as an experienced navvy, but the assumption was that men who were out o, work and ‘‘up against it" would be only too willing to earn Bs. or 10s. 6d. a The men who -objected to the cnnpcrative conditions simply left the job and were not offered any other class of The now road from Brooklyn to Vogeltown is one of the works enumerated in the last big loan schedule. CIVIC LEAGUE FUND Further subscriptions to the Civic Le.-vnie Unemplovment Fund are as follow—E F. T.. .£1 165.; Government Statistician’s Office, -10 s.; Miss Mulhane, 12s. 6d.; R.M. and M., 12s. 6d.; “Charwoman,” 7s. 6d.; J. J- Kerslake, .£l, L. T. Watkins, JC10; Geo. Lambert, .£1; A. AFC., £1; G. Colvin. Jl5; “Spiers Street,” <CI; "Practical." 103-; “Uncle Jim.” 17«.; K.M.8.. C.L S IDs.; L.T.K.. 10s.; “A Friend,” 55.; C.J.C., <£2 25.; employees George and George, Newtown branch. .£3 75.; employees Whitehead and Pears, XI; employeqs City Council Milk Depot, X 3 10s.; -Murphy Bros.’ employees, .£6 Ils.; Mrs. A. Lawrence. £2; staff Public Service Commissioner’s office, <£4 Ils.; M'Leod, Weir, and Hopkirk, and employees, .£10; Gilmour’s dranery store, X2 25.; H. Seaton and Co., XI Is.; employees G. and T. Young, X 4 65.; proprietors "Evening Post,” .£5O; employees of “Evening Post.” Xl5 95.; employees A. and T. Burt, X 9; Veitch and Allan and employees, Xl2 125.; Tonks’s Brickyard and employees, X 5 Bs.; Pipitea Wharf construction employees, XI 3s. 6(1.; Gollin and Co.’s employees, XlO 10s.; employees National Electric and Engineering Co., X 7 55.; T. and G. Mutual Life employees. XI 125.; employees No. 1 Municipal Milk Distributing Co., X 7 ss. fid. Total subscrip-, tions-to date X 862 ss. 6d. , POSITIONIN' NORTH CANTERBURY By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, September 23. ,-\t a mooting of tho North Canterbury Unemployment Committee, a deputation of eight unemployed was received. The spokesman said that all were prepared to fake any kind of work. They had travelled many miles looking for work, but had found it quite impossible to get any, while where there was work very small wages were offered. The chairman remarked that nothing but relief work was at present to ba obtained, and it was necessary to “spin out’ 1 that work as far as possible and do the greatest good to the greatest anumher. An appeal to the public for the establishment of a relief fund wa.s suggested, but eventually the following motion was carried: "That owing to there being no definite proposal that would ba likely to appeal to the public, the time for establishing an unemployment fund is inopportune, but that a sub-committee bo set up to see if some definite proposal ' cannot he brought forward and rdport to the next meeting.’