THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 164, 5 August 1909, Page 3

THE UNEMPLOYED.

DEPUTATION TO MR. McKENZIE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. This afternoon a deputation from the Unemployed of Dunedin waited on the Hod. R. McKenzie. Mr. T. K. Sidey,

M.P., introduced the deputation as one of single men. The Labor Department bad shown consideration for married men and single men with dependent!. The Department had done excellent work but single men without dependents wanted to lay their case before the Minister.

Mr. S. Borehani said that there were at present ove r 200 single men out of work in Dunedin, most of them being natives of this place. The Minister: They have not applied to the Labor Department. Mr. Boreham: Possibly not. I have the names of 174 single men on my list. A number of married men would not take work at, say, Catlins, as it would take them away from their homes. Single men a share of the employment in public work. Preference to married men had led single men to say they were' married and take women of questionable character to the places where they had been given employment.

The Minister suggested that Mr. Boreham was quoting an extreme and no typical case. Mr. Boreham said he could quote several such cases. He hoped the Minister would give Mr. Le Creu instructions to employ some single men. After other members of the deputation had been heardj the.Minister said he was informed there were 73 unemployed on the Labor Department's books, of whom 28 were married and 45 single. He would be prepared to give 30 of them work to-morrow on the Catlins railway, with the proviso that marriedl men with, say, four children should get preference. He would enquire if work could be found for the balance.

WELLINGTON RELIEF FUND. Wellington, Last Night. The total subscriptions to the Citizens' Unemployed Relief Fund amount to £I7OO, of which about £OOO has been expended. Among latest subscriptions arc £52 from the General Post Office employees and £3l from the Cor-

poration employees. Advices received by tie Labor Department from, various parts of the North Island indicate that conditions are padually improving. Applications for farm laborers are being received daily.