"POSITION INTOLERABLE"

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1932, Page 12

"POSITION INTOLERABLE"

SUSTENANCE WANTED

Protests against the proposed reduciion. of work for single men, and against.the general sustenance allowed by the Unemployment Board and the Charitable Aid Board, were made by Messrs. T. Kelly and L. Parsloe, on behalf of the ' Unemployed Workers' Movement;--to a "Post" reporter today. N

"The position of the relief workers and the "unemployed has Lecome intolerable," .they said. "Eations and relief wages have been reduced, and now single men are to get no work after 13th February. The men are in a dilemma. They are faced with starvation, are being thrown out., of their homes, and are losing everything they have saved. What is to be done? We cannot allow any man, woman, or child to go without food, clothing, or • shelter, yet the proposed regulations of the Unemployment Board and Charitable Aid Board are tantamount to that state of affairs- The men are of the opinion ■ that no excuse whatsoever of the authorities justifies people going without the necessaries of life in this country. All the men. want work. ■It is not as though they were not fit and able to work. They think now tjiat a period has been reached when the ■Unemployment Board cannot give them work, and that the payment of sustenance should be made according,to the provisions of the Unemployment Act. "In view of the approaching winter (which, means that the total of unemployed will increase) some bold steps must be taken to provide for the men, women, and children. '• By thia, we mean Buatenance sufficient to maintain everybody according to his responsibilities.

"A lot of indignation has arisen owing to the fact, that the men had to stand down after Christmas. The men are of the opinion that the stand down week should be abolished, and in lieu of the giving of sustenance, there Bhould be continuity of work. Also, the men are feeling the strain of having to pay the levy. ' All relief workers' should be relieved Of payment of the levy. Many people to-day are faced with the prospect of losing .their homes after having paid off some hundreds of pounds, and we think that the Government should immediately establish a moratorium to help those in distress. . .

"We want to protest also against the policy of the Hospital Board in not giving rations this. week to single' men who did not start work till the end of the week. Accordingly, the men were without rations till they got paid to-day. ' • ■

"Regarding Mr. Goldsmith's statement in last night's . 'Post' in reference to the establishment of camps, we1 contend that owing to the conditions in camps'and the low wages paid, they are not fair to toe men. How would_ the people who advocate the establishment of the camps like to live in them themselves? Surely we havenot reached a time when we have such an inhuman outlook as to ask men to work under conditions and receive pay which are nothing more than bringing them down to coolie level."