UNEMPLOYMENT.

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1927, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT.

A PROTEST. From Fe Kinga. Some two weeks ?. nson’s Sawmill at Te Kinga <■!<> ’own, and threw a dozen married -i out of .work. These men have I finding Lt a difficult matter in tl- intime to make ends meet, and tl, Were pleased to see by the press th: v ork •Was to be started on the I<‘< ■ uBell Hill road. . They at once n : up a party of Te Kinga sawmill worl, and interviewed Mr Higgins (Count: Engineer.) as to taking on a section ot 'the road. Some of the workers (appointed by the party) went out to th--ijob and inspected the work and. agre> i to start at once. Mr Higgins informed them that they would have to wait till he drew up estimates and specifications, which he could not have ready before Monday, February 14th. In th>meantime the men had to wait for the necessary papers to come to hand from Mr Higgins, but were astounded to see that Mr Arthur Robinson stated ■»» the Farmers’ Union meeting at Rotomanu that “the Te Kinga men did rot want work as it was too far awav. ” This is considered to have been a very unfair statement for Mr Robinson to make when men with families are waiting for word to start work.

A meeting of the unemployed workers was held at Te Kinga on Saturday evening, and Mr Robinson was invite-1 to attend to explain how he came to make such wrong statements. Mr Robinson was. however, conspicuous by his absence. Mr Lowe presided, and after > discussion in which great exception was taken to Mr Robinson’s statements 'and the Chairman stated he had again seen Mr Higgins, and the papers would be to hand on Monday, the following resolution was passed on the motion 'of Mr A. Hill, seconded by Mr R. Beams: “That we, the unemployed of Te Kinga, enter a strong protest against the statements of Mr Arthu. Robinson at the recent Farmers’ Union meeting at Rotomanu, as we are waiting to start work on the RotomanuBell Hill road as soon as estimates and .specifications come to hand. Unemployment Increasing. WHERE GOVERNMENT IS AT FAULT. TWO ERRORS OF POLICY. WESTPORT, February 14. ' Speaking at Denniston yesterday afternoon, Mr. IL E. Holland. M.P., Leader of the Opposition, stated that, from end to end of the Dominion, there was a rapidly-developing unemployment problem, due, on the one hapd to th Government’s immigration policy, and on the other hand to its neglect or inpa city to make provision for changing economic conditions. There were thousands ef workless men in the larger centres of the Dominion clamouring for work, and, at the same time, there were numerous important public works awaiting to be done, on which every unemployed man able and willing to work could be al>’sorbed. The Government’s plea was that no nionev was available, but, when private capitalism broke down in industry, as was now the case, it was the bounded duty of the Government to set itself the task of organising finance ‘and credit to keep the people in employment. The present immigration policy .was neither fair to the immigrants not to the workers of New Zealand, and it should be discontinued until such time , as those who were workless and in want had been provided with the opportunity to earn a living for themselves and ' their families. — • CHRISTCHURCH UNEMPLOYED. EXPEL TWO LEADERS. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 14. The dissatisfaction existing among the unemployed since the Hon Mr McLeod hail occasion to rebuke Mi S. H. Fournier, one of the deputation waiting on him on Friday, was brought to a head to-day. when there was a meeting of 120 of the unemployed. The meeting decided to expel Messrs Fournier and H. Duntley, two self-ap-pointed leaders, with communisite leanings. The decision was taken on the ground that their presence is detrimental to the interests of those seeking work. , . The offer of £2OO, said to have been up de to aMr Dunkley by one Mr A. . McKay, and announced by Duuklej at a meeting of the unemployed on Saturday, turns out to have been a joke. The address which the man gave was that of a vacant section. CAN CR. ROBINSON EXPLAIN? Sir, —The County Council's action as regards employing labour to clear the Hackberries along the roads in Te Kinga needs a little explanation, and perhaps Cr Robinson ean give it. There are several unemployed men with families in Te Kinga at present, and yet the aboA work is given to a man with no family who is constantly employed and does the work after hours. At time and a half for overtime, he will be doing alright, while other mer. are walking about. Do the present members of the Council agree with this method? I am, etc., RATEPAYER, ' Te Kinga.