THE UNEMPLOYED QUESTION.

Otaki Mail, 18 January 1922, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED QUESTION.

X— 9 , NO WORK IN SHANNON. A paragraph recently published b\ a Panuersion North paper that mere was ample work offering in the Sham- j non district has brought Shannon into ; prominence in a way tiiat is not alio- ’ getlier appreciated. Large numbers of unemployed itave made their way ' to the town, and the position has become embarrassing to Ute Mayor at j least. Mr Murdoch referred to tiie matter at Thursday’s meeting of the Palmerston'North Hospital Board. "There is no surplus work offering at Shannon, and 1 am at a loss to understand the action oi the Department,” the Mayor stated, hi pointing out the fallacy of the Government Labour .Bureau in sending unemployed .to the township with an assurance that once there they would be provided with employment. Lately, he continued, a number of penniless men had arrived in Shannon armed with tickets front the Labour Bureau directing them to go to the Mangahao hydro-electric works, where employment would be furnished them. They had come from Wellington, Wanganui and other parts only to find that there were no vacancies at the works, and no employment obtainable in Shannon. The upshot was that they had to seek charitable aid relief. Citing a case in point, Mr Murdoch said on Wednesday a man got off the train, and having been told to go to Mangahao by the Department, tramped through the rain all the way to the works, where he drew a blankHe accordingly made his weary pilgrimage back to Shannon, and being destitute accosted the police, who referred him to Mr Murdoch, as local representative oi the Board. The Board decided to request the Department to refrain from sending any more man on a wild goose chase to Mangahao. When the question oi unemployment * was before the House on Friday, Mr : J. A. Nash (Palmerston) quoted a j newspaper paragraph to the effect j that there was plenty of work to be had in the Shannon district, and that • unemployment arose irorn the refusal of men to go out of the towns. / Mr Nosworthy: 1 saw the statement and I believe it io be correct. Mr p. Fraser (Wellington Central): It is a deliberate lie on the part of; someone. • . Mr Holland-asked if' the Minister, 'had said or meant to convey that j when unemployed emigrants were j seeking work they must be prepared to accept, wages lower than the wages j ' provided in the awards and agree- j . ments. ] Mr Nosworthy replied that he had not wished to convey that meaning. ( He had simply said' that there was plenty of employment in the country, and he believed that he was in saakipg that statement. -■ o,