THE UNEMPLOYED.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1971, 18 June 1880, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYED.

To the Editor of the Globe. Srs, —If it had not been for the strong party prejudice generally shown in Christchurch public meetings, I should have gone on to the platform in order to point out kindly to Mr Gapes and his friends that the whole proceedings were a useless farce; for these reasons—(l) The Treasury is really empty, as the last year’s bankruptcy, £1,354,000, takes up all the cash and the balance due on the loan ; (2) except about £860,000, which will be wanted to pay the bankruptcy arising in March, 1831, while (3) the old bankruptcy bills, £400,000, falling due will, perhaps, bo refused renewal in London, and so money must be kept for them, and the only available balance is the Imperial debentures, which should be faithfully kept in reserve; so that the Public Works Loan (raised in London on the solemn pledge that it was forpublic works) is swallowed up to pay bills that would otherwise be dishonored. (5) The Government have just told us that instead of employing people they are about to throw many people out of employment by reducing the staff. (6) The only available money for work lies in the chance of discounting the above-named dishonored bills about £1.000,000. (7) Suppose they are cashed, what chance is there of meeting them ? (8) The Treasurer admits a deficiency of £275,000, but I make the deficiency in March, 1881, £BOO,OOO. Now, in the face of all this, hundreds of unemployed ask for work ! Is it not a farce ? It is to the Eoad Boards they should apply, not to the Government. Last session Sir George Grey moved to throw open the lands without deposit, so as to settle population and make work; Mr S. P. Andrews voted against it. Taxation is no the remedy; five years ago it might have ■topped the tide of bankruptcy, now it is too late ! There is another £450,000 of bankruptcy bills lying in the Trust Fund, waiting for conversion. It would be better to convert the people of New Zealand to put away borrowing at ( once, to break up the whole local administration and give it to the localities, as I have steadily proposed ever since I first indicted all the politicians of New Zealand in 1875. I sent Sir George Grey a short Local Administration Bill, bub ho prefers centralism, apparently. Unless this step is taken, the English will have to send out a Eoyal Commission and wind the Parliament up in bankruptcy. Tours, &0., J. W. TEEADWELL.