THE DUNEDIN UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 7183, 3 June 1884, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN UNEMPLOYED.

(UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, June 2. At the open air meeting of the unemployed, Mr Bracken, M.H.R., said he had telegraphed to the Premier on Saturday asking that temporary work should be.given immediately, but the Premier had not had the courtesy to reply. The Mayor said be had also telegraphed to the Premier this morning expressing his great surprise at having received no reply to bis former message on a matter of such moment that it demanded an immediate answer, as Urge numbers of the unemployed were besieging bim for work. At the council meeting he would endeavor to induce that body to provide temporary work. Later. A large crowd of the unemployed was gathered at Cargill’s Monument to-day. Two hundred and twenty-one signed their names to a document, and gave particulars whether they were married or single, the number of children in their families, and how long they bad been out of work. The longest period any of them had been unemployed is six month*?, and the average time during which the men had been out of work, seven weeks. Latest. Messrs Bracken and Fish received the following reply from Major Atkinson re the unemployed :—“ Great regret to bear that people are.unable to obtain work in Dunedin. TheGovernment has carefully considered the question, and are prepared to offer work at 4s per day, through Mr Colin Allan, the immigration officer, to whom all applications must be made. From past experience, it has been found that about 4s per day is sufficient for relief purposes, ia which light the work must bo regarded/’ -Mr Bracken also received a telegram from Major Atkinson, declining his request to grant free passages to the North, where work was more plentiful.