The Wellington Unemployed.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4719, 15 May 1894, Page 3

The Wellington Unemployed.

As statements are freely mado as to the rolativo intensity of the distress in Wellington now ana at othor timos in lite histoiy, it is interesting to' look back I upon what occurred durine 1880. At that time tho distress in Wellington, as in all the towns of the colony, was vory acute, but tho Govornmont camo to tho rescuo with publio works in various parts of tho ci untry, and pushed on useful roads and railways as relief works. From Wellington alone tho Relieving Officer sent out between 500 and 600 men to such works provided by the Government, which also found tonts, tools, and rations, and gavo a wago which enabled married men to earn about 28s a week, 7s of which covered all thoir expenses bo that thoir ijivea in Wellington regularly -wwffrom the Government 21s 6f thoir husbands' weekly pjy, and so woro provonted from being, as now, a burden on tho taxpayers. Many of the tiion sent into the country at that time became settlers, and have since expressed the opinion that the Bending of them out of I town and into tho country proved tho making of them. People are asking everywhere why some such coarse cannot be adopted now, and why the Gov. ernmont cannot, out of tho moneys it profosses to have so freely at its command, put tho unemployed of the district, say on to tho Eketahuua-Woodvilhi railway gap, and complete that line once and lor all,—Post.