THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 140, 12 July 1909, Page 2

THE UNEMPLOYED.

OLD-AGE PENSIONERS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Eeilding, Saturday. Old-age pensioners applying to the Borough Council for work on account of slackness of employment have been refused, because they cannot be expected to do a fair day's laboring. The Mayor thinks the Government should introduce legislation exempting old-age pensioners from all awards as part of a solution of the difficulty. THE POSITION IN. DUNEDIN. Dunedin, Saturday. The Hon. J. T. Paul and Mr. J. F. /Arnold, M.IY4 have telegraphed to the Hon. Mr. Millar stating that the unemployed meeting here yesterday showed a prevalence of great distress among all classes of workers', and urging the Minister fo put in hand additional work immediately.

POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH. Christchurch. Last Night. At the Trades Hall to-day, it was reported that there had been few callers. There had been no work offered of a character out of the ordinary for the purpose of relieving the unemployed. The latest posted list at the City Council oflices has had a number of .names added to it, .bringing the total up to 49. Out of these 19 have applied for work offered them. iMr. W. Minson, who was chairman of the Canterbury Conciliation Board, and who holds that position till his term "f office expires, was waited upon recently by an uncmploytcd bootmaker, who had had two or three days' work from the City Council, but who was found unable to earn the full rate of wages, and was asked to get a permit. The union declined to give him a permit', and he applied to Mr. Minson for one, at the same time telling Mr. Minson that he had a wife and five children, all the children being ill with measles. Mr. .Minson had intended considering the man's application to-day 1 , but in the meantime the City Council authorities, on learning of the man's necessitous condition, have taken him On at the full rate, Hum trettine; ovc r the difficulty created by the m'an's inability to get a permit.

The Painters' Union have offered to the City Couiuil a subsidy Of £1 for £1 up to £32 for painting work put in hand by the Council during the present period of slackness, on condition that unemployed unionists get preference of employment. This subsidy is in •iddition to the previous subsidy granted by the union.

STATEMENT BY HON. T. MACKENZIE Wellington, Last Night. The telegraphed account of the interview in Auckland represented the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, to have- stated in reference to unemploy meiit that as increased means became available, with improvements jn 'the conditions of the country, the Stato would, of course, be able to extend its functions as an employer. The Minister says this is at variance- with what he stated. His meaning, which was then made quite clear, was that with increased volume of exports and the corresponding increase in money thereby derived by the producers and manufacturers of the country, a fund would bp created large enough to provide work for all hi the great producing industries of the Dominion. After milking the foregoing statement to a New Zealand Times representative, the Minister added that the State was doing -• good deal for th e unemployed. Over 0000 people were at present engaged by the Covernment on public works, hut the country must realise that there was a limit to the ability of the State to employ. Asked if more men could not he employed on public works. Mr. Mackenzie said h e could not see how the Covernment could continue to employ even the present number for the next few vears.

Wellington, Last Night. - The citizens' unemployment relief fund totals £SOO, making £IOOO with Government subsidy.