Helping the poor April 27, 1895.

*THE WORKER*

BRISBANE, APRIL 27, 1895.

Bystanders' Notebook.

HELPING THE POOR.

“The poor ye have always with you” - then how shall we make their lot less unhappy than it is? That is the problem that has been trying the wits of our thinkers in the Government for many months past. The outcome of some of this putting on of the thinking cap may be termed the chief item of news since I last wrote you, and its importance gives it the pride of place in my epistle. The method of dealing with our unemployed during the coming winter propounded by the Seddon Cabinet is well worthy the title given it by one of the opposition papers – a big scheme. It involves the expenditure of plenty of money: but what of that? Is not money for man's use, not his plaything? and that being so, I for one rejoice that there is a possibility of a sum of five figures (I would it ran well into us) being expended in so good a cause as that which first of all provides men with work, gives them, secondly, a chance to set up a permanent home, besides tending to burat up large estates in favour of small farms, opening up virgin country and giving settlers good roads. Money could not be put to better use; and I note that even those Conservative members of the community who sit upon our charitable boards – who generally think that nothing good can come out of the Government – are raising their voices in praise of this scheme. It is said that the Minister of Labour got an idea of the scheme during his recent trip totherside while inspecting the works at the Kooweerup Swamp in Victoria, where the men are employed fortnight about in draining a very large area of swamp, so that on the conclusion of the drainage works they will be established as village settlers.

During his present tour in the Wairarapa, the Minister of Lands will endeavour to push on the scheme. The following may be taken as a condensed statement of the scheme:- The government proposes to proceed with important road works between Auckland and Taranaki, including the Stratford-road, on an adapted system of partial time, allotting the men sections for the settlement of their families in the vicinity. The Stratford-road, for instance, will be cleared 10 chains wide in readiness for settlement. Other extensive road works are to be inaugurated between Wellington and Napier, and in the South Island, and the improvement and roading of Crown lands, is to be gone on with on this principle wherever suitable blocks are available, preference being given to married men who will settle at once with their families upon the sections which are allotted them, and which they will improve. The timber on the various blocks is to be utilised by the erection of Government sawmills, and the cutting out of blocks for the supply of timber to the Home and Australian markets, in view of the improved demand now existing, the mills and works generally being conducted as far as possible on the co-operative system. The scheme now being elaborated will, it is believed, absorb the whole of the deserving unemployed of the colony, who, when the works are finished, it is hoped, will be comfortably settled upon improved small farm and village settlement holdings, where they will be in a position to maintain themselves, and taken completely away from the streets of the cities, benefiting themselves and increasing the productiveness of the country.

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THE WORKING OF THE SCHEME.

The working out of the scheme is in the hands of the Lands and Survey Department, assisted by the Labour Bureau, and in allotting work preference is to be given to men who will settle down at once on land in the vicinity with their wives and families, working partial time on the road; and after this preference will be given to married men not at once prepared to take their wives and families with them. The first class will receive four day's work on the road and two days on their sections in each week, and the three days on the sections. Single men are to have two days on the road and four days on their sections. Thirty men are also being sent by the Labour Bureau to the northern end of the Alfredton-Weber-road, to take up sections and work half-time on the road construction. They will be reinforced with eight men from Pahiatua, and five from Palmerston North. Twenty-five residents of the Forty-mile bush are to be selected immediately for work on the Eketahuna-Woodville railway.

Wellington, N.Z.                                                                                                                Tom L. Mills.