Unemployment in Wellington.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1922, Page 3

Unemployment in Wellington.

CHURCH AND RELIEF.

WELLINGTON, July 7. The unemployment problem was itiseussed Gy the Wellington Diocesan Synod to-day. The Rev. T. Feilden Taylor, who moved the motion said lie could not help feeling that the Master felt distress at the conditions prevailing throughout the country. Men. women and children were suffering great hardship. II" knew of many instances in which married men with wives and little ones had been out of work for at least five months. During the past four months lie had liecn doing all ho could to secure work for the unemployed. He tine

it would only he necessary to make ;,n appeal to church people to secure thei-co-operation in the relief of distress. He suggested that they might support the fund opened by the Mayor that church members should make offers of a half-day or a day’s employment in cleaning windows, cutting lawns, tidying gardens etc. He also suggested that urgent eases of distress should be reported to the relieving authorities. There were at least 700 men out m work in Wellington, and he believed the position was much the "same in Palmerston North. We wished the resolution to apply to the whole diocese, not merely to the eitv. If only half tinpeople offered work, some small measure of relief should he afforded. After discussion. Mr Taylor agreed to ; iu addition to his motion to thee effect that, the Government and local bodies he urged to set up further relief works.

After further discussion the motion was carried in the following form :--

“That this Synod views with deep sympathy the present distress caused to ninny hy unemployment, and rejoices to see the efforts which are l>eing made by tlie Government, and public bodies arid hopes that iiiVuo may be do: ,

this direction ;it also urges elm roll members to co-operate as far as possible ill all efforts to relieve such distress. *

Mr Taylor stated that he understood tlie Mayor was prepared to open immediate relief works if the public would pay for them. “I want to see church members get rid of a little more of the , morning tea stunt and hand in their | money.” He also suggested that church members should lie appealed to I to increase their vicar’s private poor 1 fund. i

it was decided to forward copies of the resolution to the Prime Minister, an,! the Mayor.