THE UNEMPLOYED

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2530, 17 June 1909, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED

MEETING IN §t&.BORNE»

LITTLE INTEREST TAKEN

Shortly before, ID o’clock yesterday morning a group of men was to bo seen standing around Hannah’s corner. As. the Post Office clock struck 10. the number began to swell until there were about 7X) dr SO persons present., A voting man named H.. Adams thou ascended the steps of the Sieywrighk•memorial, in Peel street... and said that: an advertisement had been put in the* papers calling a meeting of all persons-, in Gisborne who were unemployed, but the man who was responsible for the - advertisement had since found employ--went, and Jie (the speaker) would address the meeting. He explained that. Mr McLaren. M.P.. desired to obtains a return of the >nuniber of unemployed, in the Dominion, and had written to the East Coast Trades and Labor Council asking for the number of menout of work in Gisborne. According., to the newspapers'll reply had; been sent that they were not more than dd - in number. He (the. speaker) wished ; to contradict that statement, because In' know there was a large number ot.. men unemployed in the district who wore trying hard to get work, but could not find it. The Chairman-of flic Trades and Labor Council had said that the Gisborne-Rotorua .railwayabsorbed most of the unemployed, lhatr,vas also untrue, because he personally knew of men who had gone to the railway works for a job' and had been refused. -Most of the unions were over-. > manned, and there wore unite 140 men in the Waterside Workers’ Union more than the number required. There was very little work about, and he. knew ol one man who had walked 10 miles into the country to try for »M- He then asked -all who wanted work <-o hold up. a hand , and 46 hands were raised. Upon the speaker ask mg if any person present would like to address the-*! meeting - no one volunteered and time