RELIEF WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1933, Page 6

RELIEF WORKERS

Mr. 'X;- -N. Shaw '." (Martinborough) writes expressing his full sympathy with the relief. workers of the city who placed their case before the public at the meeting in the Town Hall last week, and asks to be permitted to state the case of. re-lief-workers in his district. For' the week ending 28th: January (he writes) r|» e. f,, workers were suffering what is omcially known as "stand down week." aor the week-ended 4th February the earnings were: Class A (single men), 7s»6d; class B (married men, one and two children), 17s 6d; class C (married men, three or more children), 20s. For the following week the earnings were: Class 15s; class B, 27a 6d; class C, •sis 6d, so that for the period of three weeks the average weekly wage earnings were: Class A, 7s 6d; class B, 15s; class C, 19s 2d. "How on earth the Minister or the board expects people to be able to exist on this miserable pittance is beyond comprehension," he writes, and goes on to cite the case of a family of six (parents and children) who after paying rent had for the week Is 9d, of which all but one half-penny was expended on bread and butter; the half-penny was the housekeeping money till next pay day. "Spades" complains that men are required to• travel by tram (if'they have the fare) or to tramp long distances to the Buckle street1 registration office to fill in forms, although signed and verified statements had already been made "Spades" points out that at the top of the registration card is the holder's cjass, the days he is to work, and the rate of pay. "Their cards have never been cancelled but .to all appearances are legal and verified, but instead of receiving 30s for three days' work, as Bet out, they work two hours short and 'get 27s 6d." . ./-..-■-■ ■ I\ J. McGorm writes that though the Mayor stated at the Town Hair meeting that the relief workers had a ,right to express their views, the council's officers had prohibited the men frota' holding' meetings in their own time, and, he states, men were dismissed for disobeying that order.