THE UNEMPLOYED IN ADE LAIDE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1165, 27 June 1884, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYED IN ADE LAIDE.

Pinching times have come upon ns. The drought, and the low price of wheat ami copper, have checked the relief that was expected to flaw from our big harvest. Wo have, in common with Melbourne and Sydney, a large number of unemployed, and we have also a great deal of distress, brought about by a variety of causes, among which drink and imp.ovidenca have played an important part. As the result of meetings and deputationthe Government have uu dertaken to find temporary work for those who are ready in want of employment. Some have been sent to the south-eastern drainage works, where they can earn from Ts to 10s per dav ; some have been put to planting olives in the railway reserves ; and sume have been sent into the country to excavate reservoirs for the water conservation department. The-e will be paid 5s fid per day, amt all tools and tents will he provided i-y the Government. The cases of those men who cannot leave the city are being met by private individuals, who are doing their utmost, out of pure charity, to provide work for them. As regards the distress now prevalent in Adelaide, a touching a’tiole from the pen of one of the members of the Register's staff has aroused the sympathy and practical help of the whole community. Here is a sample of the sights he saw “We were standing an the door of a tworoomed tenement in Albert street, off Grey street. Th -re are seven of those places in a block under, 1 believe, one roof. The rooms are lo.v, ami have but one door. In these two rooms—rent 8s per week lives Mrs W , her husband, and six children. Eight persons living and earing and sleeping in two small rooms ! Certainly there is little, if any, furniture to reduce the space. Peeping in, we saw one of the six children —a sick little one —lying on a course blue blanke spread ov rah rd chest. The hits bami—a wvaa ma ', not long freed from a virulent f ver—was working that- day, but expected to be out tbe next. When work was to be got lie was too ill to do it, and now there wis none far him to put his hand to. As we s take to the poor woman, the children cam>shyly up. One was sally deforme I ; hj- was the pit, and he had boots on and was wrapped 11(4 sun what. The rest we>e hat.lcss and wi h-mt shoaaor socks, though the inn I was deep .and the wind was bitter an I Ibe rain incessant. You coni I see the sk'n th otigh the rents in some oftheii* <-l«th a, which had been meudel un-< til they can • not stand any more patching Th re were five chillren altogether. ‘The sixth,’ sdd the m i her, ‘ bad to go to ihe hospital very -ad with fever.’” Tue writer closes his sketch with the assurance tint he lias give only a fair average illustration of what the Adelaide poor are likely ti suffer throng out the winter at least. Mr Alderman Kitlier, a wo-thy well to-do butcher, whose heart melt-d at the news paper's tale of hitter poverty, ’ geuer .nslv offered to sunply snup audit is first-elas-soup—for as many as needed it and as long as it was required A Human- of good hearted bakers came forward and promised to give font I w Ive to fifty 10-vesaday al through the winter; and in m y, firewood, c'othing, and articles of fu-nitme flawed in from all quarters. Up to the pres -at time about L2SC in cash his been received, an I contributions a>e s'ill coming in. The re spouse is a splendid testimony to the fact that people are ev'r ready to help any re d case of need. Yesterday 190 applio-nts were supplied with food at Alderm’n Kit-hei-’s s up kitchen. This is a falling off from the three or four previous days, so th it it is hoped lbs p assure of the suffering will now be gradually reduced.— Argus’s Correspondent.