Widnes Examiner. — 1902-12-12 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE UNEMPLOYED. Warrington Trade Unionists the Question. T own Council Criticised.  Discuss  The members of the Warrington Trades and Labour Council were occupied for sometime on Tuesday evening in discussing the question of the unemployed. In introducing the subject, the SECRETARY (Mr. F. Stott) said it was a question which, from the workingman's point of view, was very important indeed at the present time. He moved that a letter be sent to Mr. R. Pierpoint, M.P., asking him to press upon the Government the necessity for giving a day for the disoussion'of the unemployed question. He had been informed that Mr. Kier Hardie intended to ask for a day for the discussion of the question. The matter might not seem very important to members of Parliament but from the workingman's point of view, it WES one which I ought to be in the forefront. In the last issue of the "Labour Gazette" it was stated that there were more people•out of work at the present time than there had been for the past ten years, and the prospects were very bad indeed. The Government were in a position to obtain information on the matter and he I sincerely hoped that they would take it in hand.. He read the previous day that there were 355 reservists on the books for the Manchester District. They were promised all sorts of things when they went out to the war, and some of them committed suicide when they returned owing to the circumstances in which they were placed. He read 9f one reservist being found dead from starvation. He thought the Government who advised these men to go and fight ought to pay them the amounts they had been receiving when Ihey were on active service until they were able to find employment whereby they could earn enough to keep themselves. Mr. Wittcocits seconded the motion which was agreed to. Mr. BUCKLEY moved "that the Secretary be instructed to write to our local governing bodies calling upon them to make the provision to obviate the hardships of the working classes during the periods of bad trade." He said that on a previous occasion the Secretary wrote to the Town Clerk and the Clerk to the Board of 'Guardians on the subject, but without any success. In order that the local governing bodies might know that the Council still had the matter in mind, he moved that further letters be sent. In Warrington we had a splendid Town Council who wasted a great deal of their time in throwing mud at one another and discussing paltry amendments to standing orders, but they did not take the trouble to discuss the unemployed question. The Town Councillors asked the working classes for their votes at election times but when they got into Council they did not care a rap about them. The present was a time of bad trade in Warrington, especially as regarded the building trade. There was a great deal of distress preTalent, and he should urge the delegates to collect information with regard to their own particular neighbourhoods, so that these matters could be brought to light. The Councillor must also be prepared to suggest means for remedying the distress. FARGRER seconded. Mr. FLANNERY said he did not know whether the purified and reformed Town Council—the great local magnates, would rouse the townand find the unemployed something to do, but he was inclined to doubt it very much. After referring to schemes which are in force in Germany and Denmark with regard to the unemployed, Mr. Flannery said he did not see why the Town Council could not spend a few thousands pounds in finding employment for the unemployed. If other towns could do so he did not see why Warrington could not. The Council could spend money on various things,—and a great deal of money, he thought, had been wasted—and he thought they might utilize the money much better in finding men useful occupations. The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Podmore) pointed out that it would be practically impossible for that Council to find out the extent of the distress which prevailed, but it was possible for the local authorities to do so. He was of the opinion that tha School Attendanea-co.eYatt&.> through its officers could find out how many parents were unemployed. The Relieving Officers could also assist in this respect. He did not think it would be fair to shelve the burden of the responsibility upon the shoulders of private individuals like the members of -that Council. Mr. PLINSTON asked that the letter be not sent to the Board of Guardians as that body could do nothing in the matter except order people to go into the Workhouse or grant them out-door relief. The question of dealing with the unemployed was one of the toughest jobs the Council ever tackled. Mr. BUCKLEY did not think he would be very far -wrong when he said that 25 per cent, of those employed in the building trade in Warrington were out of work. The municipal authority could em oy men in that trade directly, but unfortunately in Warrington they did not. Mr. HAMBLETT thought that unless the Council obtained more informat on before they sent the letters they would receive a snub. He moved that the question be adjourned. Mr. KENDRICK seconded. On a vote being taken Mr. Buckley's motion was carried, it being understood that if replies were received asking fof information, the Secretary should write requesting the local authorities to institute inquiries nto the matter.  qbe: Co 00  00+20,T0 0 OC) 010 +STO Oetj OK) C)* 00 I 04' (40  "PATENT" 1 Corp Floa tr A Booklet of excellent recipes for light digestible sweets, hot and cold, will be sent by Brown & Poison, Paisley, on receipt of a Id. stamp. The booklet also tells how to make plum pudding better raised and lighter with the help of i B. & P.'s "Paisley Flour." ' Send for a copy now.  CC) *0 00 _  len Buns for Id.  You can make 15 large, light, delicious. and wholesome buns from Id packet of Eiffel 'lower Bun Flour for a total Cost of With its use a child can make with fiertain success delightful Lemon, Vanilla, or Almond Buns. Send a Postoard for free sample of klffel Tower Bun Flour (enough for 15 Lune), to G. FoRTER CLARK AND Ce., 37i8, kiffel Wer Factory, blAid stouts,