THE WORKLESS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1933, Page 7

THE WORKLESS

RELIEF PAYMENTS

LABOUR'S ATTACK

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE

AMENDMENT DEFEATED

Full advantage was taken by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives yesterday on the introduction of the first Imprest Supply Bill of the session to discuss the unemployment situation. The debate kept the House sitting until 5.50 o'clock this morning. The members of the Opposition criticised the administration of the unemployment legislation, and contended that the men on relief works were subject to unnecessary hardships. The Minister of Employment (the Hon. A. Hamilton) stated that the Government was doing its best to meet the position. The Labour Party amendment attacking the present system of unemployment relief was defeated by 42 votes to 23. 1 The Labour amendment was as follows:— . This House records its,regret that the Government has failed to deal effectively with the question of unemployment which is causing so much destitution and distress. It expresses disapproval of the prosent relief work system, and strongly eoridc'mns tho proposal to introduce piecework to jobs carried on under relief work schemes. It further expresses the opinion that tho time has arrived for applying standard wages and conditions to all relief work. "I am asking the House today to give us support," said the Leader of tho Opposition (Mr. M. J. Savage). Men, women, and children were expected to exist in a slate of semi-star-vation while the country did not know "what to do with its production. It made one's blood boil, to say the least of it. The main provisions of the Unemployment Act wero not being given effect to, and they were poor enough. He could not find words to express his indignation. The amendment was seconded by Mrs. E. It. McCombs (Labour, Lyttclton), who said she desired to refer to the problem as it affected youths and women. Boys had been deprived of educational facilities, but had not been provided with employment. There was a responsibility on the part of the Government, and the Government should accept that responsibility or resign. She was amazed at the manner in which the Government leaned on the charitable institutions of the country. Little had been heard from the committee which had been set up to investigate unemployment among women. She suggested that the Government should train unemployed women in beekeeping, and flower and vegetable culture. THE PIECEWORK SYSTEM. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christ-, church East) said the piecework system was the worst form of injustice that had been inflicted on the relief , workers. The administration of the Government had resulted in an increase in the number of unemployed in New Zealand. Mr. B. McKeen (Labour, Wellington South) said single men's camps were camps of internment. Judging from tho way in which the settlement of the unemployed on the land was undertaken, the Government had neglected the problem. Mr. McKeen criticised the efforts of two members of the Government party who had toured New Zealand with the object of showing how employment could be provided for tho youths, and said that not a .man or boy had been employed as a result of the tour. :Mr. S. G. Smith (Government, New Plymouth): That is incorrect. Mr. McKeen: How is it that unemployment is increasing? The Government, said Mr. MeKeen, should endeavour to get as many men back into permanent employment as it possibly could. Mr. D. W. Coleman (Labour, Gisborne) said that, under the piecework system skilled workers would be unable to earn sufficient on which to live. Mr. E. J, Howard (Labour, Christehurch South) said the whole country "was opposed to the Government's policy. Mr. ,H. Holland (Government, Christchurch North) said he had visited the Ashley single men's camp, and he considered that the accomodation was splendid. , Mr. Armstrong: It's a pity you aren't there now. Mr. Holland said the camp possessed wireless sets, and concerts were held. Mr. B. Semple (Labour, Wellington East): Have they a golf course? (Laughter.) "The camp mentioned by the honourable gentleman is not characteristic of the camps," said Mr. J. A. Leo (Labour, Grey Lynn). The Minister t>f Lands (the Hon. E. A. Ransom): It is characteristic. The Prime Minister (the Bt. Hon. G. W. Forbes): Ha, ha.! NEARING THE END. "The Prime Minister says 'Ha,' but the Prime' Minister has nea.rcd the end of his life, and theso men have ambitions," said Mr. Lee. Mr. Holland: Has tho honourable gentleman seen the camp? Mr. Lee said he was talking about general conditions. "I have seen camps that would not compare with some of the 'bivvies' we had in Franco; there were individuals huddled togother like pigs," he said. Mr. Lee said that young men needed hope. The men in the ■(•amp Mr. Holland referred to were now on piecework and the conditions which he described no longer existed. Mr. J. Hs.rgest (Government, Inveroargill): What are they getting today? Mr. H. T. Armstrong: 25s a week. Mr. Lee said that the Government had instituted a system of national sweating and indentured labour. Many of the men who had been compelled to enter camps had fought to make the world safe for democracy. Camps might be all right in wartime, but there was no enemy at the present time, unless it was the Government. The Prime Minister seemed to bo satisfied if a man was able to get his iuncv man full of food of a sort—rice for example—but men did not live by bread alone, and they were entitled to the decent comforts of life in a land teeming with plenty. "Thore is slavery in Now Zealand," said Mr. Lee, "slavery on tho centenary of Wilberforce." The Government was indifferent to the situation; it did not care, although men, were being driven down to the level of beasts. What hope was there for the young man in the unemployment camp and what hope was there for the young v.-omau earning 2a 6d a week at housekeeping? "I know I am not saying anything now," said Mr. Lee. A Government member: Hear, hear. Mr. Lee: Yes. Hear, hear-—hee, haw. Why isn't there anything new in what 1 am saying? It is because it happens fo be a simple truth—people arc starvi/ig in .f.he: midst of plenty. It seems..

however, that it is necessary to keep on reiterating this truth before anything can be dono in New Zealand. The Government, added Mr. Lee, thought that things wero all right, because the people wore quiet, but it might b© the quiet before the storm. There was a rebel generation growing up throughout the Dominion, which was not going to have its ambitions and its capacities frustrated by slavery conditions. The quietness of tho people must not be taken by them as .acquiescence in the present cruel situation. Mr. E. T. Tirikatene (Independent, Southern Maori) said that there was widespread distress among the Maoris and he urged tho Government to rectify the position. PAY AND WORK. Mr. D. McDougall (Independent, Mataura) said it could not be wondered at that the unemployed in the camps were protesting against rates of pay. Unless men were paid adequately, they could not be expected to do the work. One member of the Unemployment Board was not only drawing £6 per week as a member of the board, but he was also secretary of the Canterbury Progress League and an organiser for theKeform Party. Labour members: Oh! Mr. McDougall said that 7d per yard was being paid for shifting solid rock, and he would like to see some of the Cabinet Ministers doing the job at those rates of pay. . Mr. Semple: I would like to be m nharge of them. Mr. McDongall said that the engineer ■who drew up the schedule of rates should never allow himself to appear a°Mr' F. Langstonc (Labour, Waimorino) said that the Government was absolutely unsympathie towards tho unemployed and the same remark applied to the Unemployment. Board. The policy of forced campß was absolutely detestable and contrary to all tho traditions of the country. There was a big difference between the present camps and the Public Works camps of former days. Furthermore, in tho past it was not compulsory for the men to take the job.' It was all very well for Ministers drawing 30s per day in travelling expenses going round the country saying that things were all right, buttte unemployed were not dullards The Government could find £1,000,000 to lend to the Reserve Bank, and meet the cost of the exchange rate. It could also find £16,000 for the Prudential Assurance Company, and yet it could not increase the pittance of tho unemployed. NO MOBE TAXATION. Mr W. A. Veiteh (Government, Wanganui) said that it was impossible to increase'the unemployed tax. However, the administration of the unemployment situation was open to criticism. It was an unsound principle to uso taxation on private work. All taxation should be spent on public assets and public services. Mr. Vcitch advocatod a scheme of completing uncompleted public works, emphasising that they would have to be completed eventually, when the cost would be greater. Attention should be directed towards land settlement, and he also suggested that there should be a State realisation assets office, whose duty it would be to pay special attention to the unoccupied Government houses. "DEVOID OF VISION." Mr. Semple said that it had been clearly shown that the wage cuts had resulted in the increase of unemploy,merft. There was no hope for single men in the camps throughout the country. The Government was devoid^ of vision. Tho country was saturated with, misery. Mr. Semple quoted a case of a man unablo to dig his garden, and who had had his milk ration stopped. Mr. A. Stuart (Government, Eangitikei) said that the Government was doing all that was possible with the finances at its command. MINISTER'S REPLY. The Minister of Employment (Mr. Hamilton) said that the critics of the Government's actions wero in a very favourable position. It was very much easier to criticise than it was to suggest ways of improving the position of the uuemployed. "I sat on the Opposition benches for a little while," said the Minister, "and I wasjiever very happy in criticising. If the Labour Party over gets into office I will bo on the Opposition benches, but I will still be ready to give a hand. In one sense I would like to see the Labour Party in office at the present time. I don't know that it would not do them a world of good, and I aon't know that it would not do the people of New Zealand tho world of good." The Minister said that New Zealand had done a lot for the unemployed, and he did not think all tho sympathy for the unemployed was on the side of the Labour Party. The Goi-ernment was just as sympathetic and just as holpful to the unemployed as tho Labour Party. At the same time they did not want to let their sympathy run away with them, as that was apt to warp their judgment. He believed the Government was doing as much as it could in order to assist the people to find work. Replying to the complaints in regard to piecework the Minister said that piecework was no new thing. It had been tho settled policy of the Public Works Department for years and years. Labour members: That is quite wrong. The Minister said it was essential that local bodies should receive some Teturn on the money they borrowed for tho prosecution of works. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon): What about tho men's side of the case? The Minister'said tho Unemployment Board did not wish to be hard, but when borrowed money was involved it was essential that tho work should bo dono efficiently. Ho admitted that tho bulk of the work was done' efficiently, but there were instances in which it was not. The Minister went on to refer to allegations made that unemployment was leading to malnutrition amongst children, and quoted figures from the Health Department's report denying the suggestion. Mr. P. Frascr (Labour, Wellington Central): Don't give us tho statistics again. The people don't live on figures. The Minister concluded by paying a tribute to the manner in which the members of the Unemployment Board had carried out their duties. The members of the board were doing their work in a wonderfully able way. THE HARDEST HIT. Mr. Frasor said that, although the unemployment taxation might be a hardship to many people, there was no doubt that the unemployed themselves were tho hardest hit of any section of the community.- In spite of the deplorable plight of the unemployed, tho Government was adopting an attitude of armour-plated complacency which could not be pierced. Furthermore, the Unemployment Board was not doing anything essential to alleviato tho position. There was no doubt that the Minister of Employment controlled the general policy in regard to. unemployment, and he would have to accept full responsibility. The board was only doing the scavenging work for the Government, and it was not showing an understanding of men. This was illustrated in the case of the outbreak of swine fever in Johnsonville. In this case the Department of Agriculture and the Public Works Department, had had to push thu board aside when it had tried to bring "blacklegs" from the camps at low rates of pay. It was a pity that the board had not been brushed aside altogether. At the present time it was not only an expensive luxury, but also an expensive disaster to thy vountry, nnrl there was tio necessity fov it,. The

Minister had apologised for the women's committee which had been set up. So far they had not had a single idea which had emanated from the first coinmitteo, and now a second committee had been set up. Mr. Semplo: This one is just as bad. MALNUTRITION OF CHILDREN.* Mr. Fraser said that the report of tho Health Department had shown that there was malnutrition amongst the children, and any officer who denied that there was poverty and' distress at the present time was distorting the situation. They had only to look at the position in Wellington at the present time. Under the organisation of tho Salvation Army, milk was being distributed amongst the children in the schools, and circulars were boing distributed asking for contributions for the support of this scheme. Thousands of children were being supplied with milk in this way in a country in which they were experiencing a difficulty in selling milk produce. It had been said that the camps for single men were well run,, but it might also be said that tho gaols were excellently conducted. No one, however, wishod to turn the country into a gaol. Something more was required than camps in order that the meu could retain their manhood and not be reduced to serf conditions. They had had an instance at Paraparaumu, where the young men had stopped work owing to a dispute over the amount of tea the men were allowed to take out for their lunches. This was an instance of the pin-pricking which was going on in connection with the camp system. The young men were being organised in camps, and were being paid a miserable amount, which was destroying their manhood. The Minister had haltingly attempted to justify tho piecework system. Apparently he was ashamed of the system, which could not be imposed equitably in navvying work. The ostensible object of the board was to try and sweat tho men.- The;destruction of thefabour laws had resulted in sweated labour in the factories. The Minister of Finance (Mr. Coates): Name one factory. Mr.> Frasor said that instances of sweating in the garment factories in Wellington had been brought under his notice. Mr. Coates: Why was it not reported to the Labour Department in Wellington? • NEW ZEALAND FACTORIES. Mr. Fraser said that the Labour Department might have been deceived in the matter. What was wanted was an investigation into the conditions in the New Zealand factories. There were a number of manufacturers who would prove his statement. The Government's policy had also brought about undesirable conditions in tho domestic service. All they asked for was a proper inquiry. Mr. Coates: The honourable gentleman has not named one factory. Mr. Fraser said that if iin inquiry were set up, the facts would be prosented. He said that the unemployed could not live on sympathy, but they desired a new policy in connection with the unemployment problem. The prosent policy was wrong, and should bo scrapped lock, stock, and barrel. Tho fact that men were cooped up in dormitories without any home life, and the fact that people had to lino up in queues for food could not reflect to the credit of a country which was able to pTodueo all the necessaries of life in abundance. It was shanieful that the people should be given cast-off'clothing when the Dominion was finding it difficult to market her wool profitably. The Labour amendment was defeated by 42 votes to 23, and the Imprest Supply Bill was passed.