UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 84, 6 October 1931, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

WORKERS' GRIEVANCES

INADEQUATE PAY

A number of requests for tJio improvement of tho system of unemployment relief, particularly in respect to tho amount'which relief workers are permitted to earn, was made to the Minister in Charge of Unemployment, the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates, yesterday afternoon by a deputation which claimed to represent 3000 unemployed workers in the Wellington City and suburban districts, including the Lower Hutt area. After hearing the representations, Mr. Coates promised consideration for the points raised, but impressed on the deputation that the capacity of the country in respect to unemployment* relief was definitely limited. Mr. E. Sernple, M.P., who introduced the speakers, said that tho members of tho deputation had been appointed by tho relief workers on the various jobs. He made it clear that they did not represent the Communist group; they came with legitimate grievances. On behalf of the city group of unemployed, Mr. C. Grayndler made a plea for increases in the amounts paid for relici? works. Under the present No. 5 scheme, he said, it was laid down that single men should average 13s a week, married men with two children £1 7s 9d, and married men with larger families £1 14s 7d. Unfortunately, those amounts were being curtailed, and he asked under what authority the amount stipulated was being reduced, and what excuse there could be for not paying the full sum to which the men wore entitled. He also complained of the system whereby men who _ had wives going out to work had their relief pay curtailed. Ho asked that not only should the full benefits of the Act and its regulations bo enforced, but also that standard rates of pay be paid for relief works. DISPROPORTIONATE TAX. Mr. P. M. Butler said that the relief workers had been given to understand that definite rates would be paid, but as the result of the hours being curtailed they were not getting the amount that had been set out. Indeed, the curtailment represented a greater proportionate tax on the wages of tho relief workers, even though they were exempt from tho payment of the levy, than was being made on anyone else in the Dominion. Mr. Butler expressed tho hope that tho allocation would be increased as far as possiWo, and he submitted that if a better method of administration were adopted tho unemployment funds would be used to greater advantage. Ho referred to the difficulty of transporting men long distances to relief jobs in Wellington, and suggested that the board should consider the mat-

tor. Mr. IV H. C. Smith, a city relief worker, further testified to tho inadequacy of tho relief wages. Mr. E. A. Goodwin stated a case on behalf of 139 men with S4l dependants. Tho nien"'s earnings were £347, and they paid a total of £207 7s 6d in rent, leaving a balanco of £140 2s 6d. As the^ result of tho curtailment of working time, this worked out at 2s lOd per head per week. Tho majority of the men on the job, he said, had Stato Advances - houses.

Mr. Semple interjected that he had had experience of men being evicted, though he thought the State Advances Department had been very fair. Mr. Coates said that if a man was doing his 'best tho. Department Would not interfere. The decent sort of man who was up against it aud was doing the best that, could bo expected of him had a good friend in the Government. Mr. Goodwin said tho maximum amount the married relief worker was permitted to cam was 50s per week, and it was an absolutely impossible sum to live on. The men did not want charity, but preferred to work for wages. "ONE MAN, ONE JOB." Mr. H. Craven. (Petono) referred to the difficulty created in that district through dismissals from the railway workshops. He endorsed previous remarks as to tho inadequacy of tho relief rates, and also denounced pick and shovel jobs as degrading and humiliating, and in many cases practically useless. "Whilo so many men were unemployed it was unfaiv that superannuated officers held other positions, while some people occupied two or more positions, and he suggested to Mr. Coates that he might be able to do- something on the lines of "one man, one job."

Mr. A. E. Sergeant said that out of 829 men registered as unemployed at Lower Hutt 748 were engaged on the No. 5 scheme. The sum required to give full-time employment was £967 17s per week, and the amount allocated was £681 6s. Tho effect of the reduced allocation was that the men were earning less than was intended. He expressed tho 'opinion that the Lower Hutt relief workers had been dealt with more harshly by tho Unemployment Board in the matter of reduced timo than any other part of tho Dominion. . The outlook for both single and married men was hopeless, and it was impossible for them to meet their obligations. That sort of thing could not endure indefinitely and must have its reaction. Mr. Sergeant pointed out that no allowance was made for time lost through sickness; tho only provision in that respect was for wet weather. He urged that something should be done to repair that omission.

Mr. A. J. Smith, also from Lower Hutt, supported Mr. Sergeant's remarks.

On behalf of the Eastbourne relief workers Mr. P. Carlylo said there were only CO in that district, and the allocation this week, was not sufficient to enable single men to be engaged. They did not receive the. benefits which the Wellington and Lower Hutt" workers received. DISTRESS AT LOWER HUTT. Mr. S. J. Ward (Upper Hutt) complained that nothing was being done in tho district to meet urgent cases of distress, and he spoke of unsuccessful representations which had been made to the Mayor. Mr. P. Eraser, M.P., interjected that as the result of a number of complaints from tho district, tho Minister of Health was looking into tho matter. Ho mentioned one caso of a man with a wife and two children with no food in the house. Mr. W. Nash, M.P., stressed the point about making up pay lost through sickness, and pointed out that thero had been a good deal of sickness lately. He suggested that the unemployment committees should be instructed to make up the time either in tho same week or in tho following week. 110 also referred to tho supplementation of men's earnings through their wives having employment. Iv many cases, if tho wife gave up her work, the husband's earnings on relief jobs would bo less than the amount the wife was earning. Ho also thought there should bo an express instruction to the board that tho unemployed should have one or more representatives on tho local unemployment committees. MAKING THE MOST OF THE MONEY. Eeplying to the deputation, Mr. Coates said that in no sense could the relief payments bo termed wages; it was relief which had boon, provided by Parliament and the country to help

thoso who were up against it and to enable them to keep body and soul together and to tide them over an unenviable period. Tho country demanded that tho unemployment funds should be used to tho best advantage. The funds provided by Parliament were not sufficient to enable increases to be made in tho rates. It was asked that the relief granted should at least comply with tho sustenance clauso of tho Act, but the Government did not favour the payment of sustenance, and believed that whatever relief was given should be in tho form of work. The task of the Government was therefore to endeavour to make the most of the money provided for tho purpose. Tho Minister said that the points which had been made would have to bo dealt with seriatim, and ho would not pretend to reply to them. Indeed, it would be presumptuous for him to do so, because ho had not yet had an opportunity to inquiro into tho effect of granting the requests made. It was his desire, wherever there wero inequalities, to encourage tho board to meet them in a reasonable and practical manner. It was his duty as Minister in Charge of Unemployment to try to readjust matters so that some of the disagreeablo features of relief work should be removed. Mr, Nash: "What are the unemployed to do if there is not enough money?" Mr. Coates: "That is a question I cannot answer at the moment." Ho said he would endeavour to see that the best possible was done. He wanted to review tho whole position, and he could only do that when he had a picturo of the whole unemployment position in his mind. The deputation had presented to him the side of the men on relief jobs. In conclusion, he said he wished to impress on them that the capacity of the country to meet the demands of unemployment was definitely limited. The points presented would be considered, and he assured them that ho realised the position. He was investigating the whole problem very carefully, and he hoped before long to make a statoment setting forth tho views of the Government.