SUBSIDISED LABOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 91, 14 October 1932, Page 11

SUBSIDISED LABOUR

ABUSES ALLEGED

MR. M CKEEN'S CRITICISM

An allegation that a" number of farmers had taken unfair advantage of the Unemployment Board's subsidised labour schemes, to the detriment of their permanent men, was made by Mrv B. MeKeen (Labour, Wellington South) in the House of Representatives to r day.

Mr. McKeen said that the part of the \No. 5 scheme which authorised the subsidising of, farm labour was being abused in several places. -There was a specific instance in the case of the Masterton: County Council. One of the members of the council had been employing five permanent :men, and when; the scheme, had come into operation ho had sacked four of the men and had engaged four subsidised men. in their place. The council was the body which had made the decision in regard to the employment of the men, and they were making decisions in favour of themselves. The Masterton County had had a. surplus of £9000, and had. refused to give the Government" any assistance, in spite of the-fact that it had also received a 12$ per cent, rebate in its rates.and had been relieved to the extent of 30 per cent, from motor taxation. Not only had the farmers taken advantage of the subsidised labour to sack' permanent hands, but also they had had the effrontery to apply to the Transport Board for a subsidy toward tjie cost of conveying the men to the*, farms, and had' applied for a rebate of 6d per gallon on the petrol-used.' . ■ ' • . Mr. G. E. Sykes (Government, Masterton): Name the men. . ■ : Mr. McKeen: I am not going to name them, but it will be_ sufficient for' the honourable -member if. 1 say that they are members of- the Masterton County Council. Mr. MeKeen said it had been reported to the local committee at Eltham that farmers' in : comfortable circumstances were taking advantage of the subsidised labour, and when specific instances had been reported' the Mayor had described the position as shameful and simply slavery. COUNTY DEFENDED. Mr. G.. B. Sykes (Government, Masterton) said he-, did not know from what source Mr.-.McKeen had received his information, regarding the Masterton County .Council.' There was a certain organisation, which had, in an almost Communistic way, urged the men to strike. Such was the position that the Mayor of Masterton had refused to give the orga.nisa.tion the free use of a room in which to hold their meetings. The Masterton County Council had done everything it jossibly could to provide employment, and when, owing to lack of work near, the towns, it had asked men to go into the country districts the organisation, had advised them .not to go. ■ "Mr. McKeen: Nonsense. ' Mr. Sykes said'that in. spite of the advice which had been given the camps were full to-day,- and the men had expressed themselves as satisfied with the treatment they had received. Mr. P. Eraser (Labour^ Wellington Central): And with, their wages? ' Mr. Sykes: How can anyone be satisfied with 10s a week, but under present conditions they have to accept them. These men are learning to be philosophers. Mr. J. o'Brien (Labour, Westland): They must be stoics. (Laughter.) Mr. Sykes said that owing to the reduced income of.. the farmers .the Masterton. County. Council had had to reduce.its payments. . . . .... i, .Mi-. MeKeen: They have a/balance of £900.0/ : Mr. Sykes: I am glad to hear.it. They may need it. -, Mr.. W. Nash (Laboury Hutt): I thought we were round the corner.