THE UNEMPLOYED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4727, 22 May 1894, Page 3

T HE UNEMPLOYED.

The Wellington wharf shelter was igain full lust night, nnd 12 otlior inon who could notbo accommodated ivoro sent to tho Home. Regarding the unemployed, the Inst issue of the Labour Journal says —" There has been a great deal of lgitation among a certain class of inenduring the last few weeks, much more, probably, tlmn tlioro wus any occasion for, Several meetings wero held by men reported out of employment. One of these we attended, [Did, from the knowledge of our officers, gained by years of experience of the Wellington men, we should say that out ofjho estimated 200 present, there were at least 100 who work on • the wharves and about shipping. It being a slack day at their work, they, of course, attended the meeting. It seems a peculiar thing that in the lato agitation nnd that of 12 months ago the leading men should be strangers, not only to the city, but to the colony. We do not pretend to know the reason, but it remains a fact that it is so." The returns of unemployed in the Wellington district assisted by tho Department of labour during April gives the following figures;—sß married and 81 single, with 265 persons dependent on them; 80 wero sent to private employment and 50 to Government works; 29 came from the South Island, eight from Great Britain and three from Australia, IfieChristcfiurch Unemployed (By Telegraph.—Press Association) OiiwsTCin'ucii, May 21. A deputation headed by the Mayor waited on the Premier to-day, and asked him if the Government could do something to relieve the unemployed by taking men to work in other districts. At present, it was pointed out, about 400 men wero out of work, aud the citizens were doing the best they could by finding employment for the older men, but tliey could not maintain the whole number. The Premier said there was no doubt the unemployed question wns a difficult one, but it was much exaggerated, The country was now no worse off than it had been several times previously. In 1880, when tho expenditure was ono million and a half, the Public Works Statement showed that 2000 men wero on reliof works at 2s 6d a day. There were now only 2000 on co-operative works, with a public works expenditure of less than half a million, The local bodies, if they bad any monoy to spend, should spend it now. After some further discussion the Premier said he was in communication with Messrs McKcnzio and Reeves and there was a possibility of some work being shortly taken in band. He was not prepared to adopt the principle of giving subsidies to local bodies so as to let them go on with works and jobsabout towns.