THE UNEMPLOYED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2565, 28 July 1909, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED.

THE POSITION IN WELLINGTON

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 27

There is little change in the position with regard to the unemployed in the city. Numerous applications are being daily received by the secretary of the citizen’s unemployed fund from men who are looking for work. There are now 530 men registered with the secretary. Many more have applied, but either on the ground that they are non-resident,, or for some other good reason, they arc debarred from participating in the relief work. About 200 men are ’being employed alternate weeks on three city jobs undertaken by the relief committee out of the subsidised fund. The various gangs employed at Victoria College, Mount Victoria, Constable Street, and on the Wadestowir road works will have finished their work to-morrow evening, and will give Xilace to the initial gangs next day. Arrangements have been made for ten carpenters, one painter, and one laborer to be employed in lining works at Victoria College. Seven of these men commence in the morning, and the balance at the end of the week. A gang of ten men leave to-day for Belmont, having been sent there bx’ the relief committee to undertake a firewood cutting contract. To-day ten additional men are being sent by the Labor Department to the railway works/ at Stratford, while to-morrow six men are to be sent to tho State experimental farm at Levin to do bush clearing work.

Up to date the following donations towards the unemployed fund have been made, by local industrial unions: Typographical Union £l3 ; Bookbinders and Paper Rulers £lO 10s; Painters and Decorators £lO ; Wellington Trades and Labor Council £10; Tailors’ Union £5 os'; Plumbers’ Union £3; total £sl 15s. In addition to ■' donations the General Laborers’ Union suspended the entrance fee of five shillings to the Union, to allow persons to accept work and become members of the union free of cost. The Typographical Union has paid out something like £7O in unemployed' allowances up to date, in addition to its donation of £l3 to the unemployed fund. The railway workshops employees, at Petone, subscribed £7O towards ,a special unemployed relief fund.

AFFAIRS IN CHRISTCHURCH—AGITATORS DENOUNCED.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 27. Another poorly attended demonstration of the unemployed was held this morning, when several speeches were made, after which tho gathering dispersed. Mr. A. D. Hart, chairman of tho Trades and Labor Council’s Committee on Unemployment, when seen later in the day, declared most emphatically that the so-called demonstration, procession, and inflammatory speeches by irresponsible so-called bodies of unemployed, were doing the cause of the genuinely workless a tremendous lot of harm. Prospects now, 'the speaker continued, are particularly bright, much brighter than at any time during the, winter. The public are recognising their responsibility in the matter, as can be seen by the handsome donations that are pouring in. The weather is getting more suitable for all sorts of outdoor ' work, and very shortly there will be ; sufficient doing to more than absorb all the unemployed who want work to-do. Men of the agitator class that are so prominent in leading the unemployed to these demonstrations are going the right way to work to alienate the sympathy of those who are in a position "to assist in relieving tho situation, and the Trades and Labor Council committee desire to be early disassociated from what they are doing. This'sort of thing must stop. The citizens hero are doing as much as is being done elsewhere to cope with the problem, and now that tho matter is in a fair way to be satisfactorily settled, it ■s a great pity that so many men are being led away by those who- are doing no good, either to themselves or to those they are professing to help. In response to the request of the Citizens’ Committee, a large number of the unemployed aro registering their names at the City Council Chambers. Of 43 men selecteVl for relief work by the city engineer last week, 19 have not sret5 r et put in an appearance: Mr. W. IT. Hagger, officer in charge of the local Labor Bureau, states that although he is still receiving many applications for employment, the outlook appears to be gradually improving. An effort is to be made by the Department this week to get into touch with farmers and other country settlers who may bo in need of hands.