HIGHER RELIEF PAY WANTED

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 98, 19 January 1935, Page 4

HIGHER RELIEF PAY WANTED

Meeting of Wellington • Unemployed A meeting of Wellington unemployed was held at the Trades Hall on. Thursday evening to discuss the new scales of relief and sustenance. The meeting was under the auspices of the Wellington Relief Workers’ Union. About 200 unemployed were present. Miss E. Farrelly, representing the working women’s committees, outlined the position as it affected the wives of the unemployed, and stated that the amounts granted to the unemployed were insufficient to provide the necessary food, clothing and shelter. She said the demand of the Wellington Relief Workers’ Union for a 10/- weekly increase, even if granted by the Government and the Unemployment Board, would still leave the unemployed in the possession of an amount far below the scales as laid down in the Act of 1930. Mr. O. M. Brooks, representing the Wellington Relief Workers’ Union, outlined the suggestions and proposals of his organisation, which included the proposition that the unemployed should immediately start to organise definitely against any suggestion of a cut being inflicted against the men with two and three children. He suggested also that the unemployed should take up the question of a campaign for more relief. The surplus cash in possession of the board belonged to the unemployed. The following resolutions were carried : “That this mass meeting of unemployed and their wives enters an emphatic protest against the action of the Government and the Unemployment Board in inflicting cuts upon those men with two and three children. We are strongly opposed to the policy of substituting payment in rations in lieu of cash. We demand that the cuts be immediately restored to the men concerned. “Realising that the new scales of relief and sustenance are totally insufficient to provide the necessary food, clothing and shelter, this meeting demands that the Government and the Unemployment Board immediately cease the practice of building up a surplus in the Unemployment Fund at our expense and immediately considers the question of increasing the payment to all unemployed by 10/- weekly.. . ' “That this mass meeting considers that the policy of having to visit the labour bureau twice weekly when drawing sustenance is totally unnecessary and demands the return to the previous system of one visit per week. Further, we are of the opinion that an extension of the premises at the labour -bureau is necessary to enable the staff to cope successfully with the work entailed in dealing with the sustenance men.” The meeting also resolved that a “More Relief Council” be set up to fight against the cuts and to organise for more relief. It was recommended that such a council should be composed of delegates officially elected by. the meeting and by the men on the relief jobs and at the labour bureau, and also by delegates representing wives of the unemployed and unemployed single women and delegates from any organisation in sympathy with the demands of the unemployed, Nominations were called for from the meeting for election to the council, and two women and 11 men were elected. The meeting decided' that a petition be circulated for signature by the unemployed and the public generally, demanding more relief for the unemployed. It was decided that when the task of obtaining the signatures had been completed, a public meeting should be called and the petition presented by it to the Gover-nor-General or some other high authority.