THE UNEMPLOYED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2257, 31 July 1908, Page 2

THE UNEMPLOYED.

SALVATION ARMY KEEPS OPEN HOUSE. VERY FEW APPLICATIONS. [Peess Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, July 30. The hack of the unemployed difficulty seems to have been broken. There are no meetings in the Square and tho number of 'applicants for work at the Labor Office has gone back to normal. This morning 21 men left for /Broken River, out of 22 who had been supplied with passes. The Department has placed , altogether, over one hundred men on the Midland railway works during the past few weeks. The number of 26 out of employment at Kaiapoi, according to statements made on Tuesday, has been practically reduced to a cipher. The Salvation Army kept “open house” at the barracks ill Chester Street to-day, the object being to assist men and women who wero in distress owing t 0 want of employment. The intention of Brigadier Albiston and his officers was to give temporary assistance in the way of fooa supply to those who represented that they required that help, and to make inquiries into the cases with a view of giving further assistance, if liocessary. There was, however, no frenzied rush of applicants for the free dinners. The caliere were mostly women whoso distress was not caused through any lack of employment, but through tho inability of their husbands, through ill-health or other causes, to work. The cases were inquired into 'by Staff-Captain Sims, who is in charge of the Christchurch corps. He informed a reporter that the cases referred to above were all that had come under the notice of the Army. The people concerned had not been mingled with the unemployed, but they had come out purely on account of the offers of assistance reported in tho newspapers. Their difficulties were caused by scarcity of work, and none of them were starving. If there had been any great amount of distress there would have been many more applications for assistance. The Army did not intend to continue the experiment any longer, as the day’s operations showed that there was practically no necessity for it. The few cases which had been revealed would be attended to, and .the necessary assistance given.