DISMISSED WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 136, 10 June 1937, Page 11

DISMISSED WORKERS

A DUNEDIN PROTEST

REPRESENTATIONS TO

MINISTER

A meeting was held at the Trades Hall, Dunedin, on Monday, of the men dismissed last, week from the works and water departments of the City Corporation, a protest being' made against the decision of the Acting Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) ; that, they should have to stand down for a fortnight before receiving sustenance or some other form of relief (states the "Evening Star"). A telegram demanding immediate sustenance was sent to the Acting Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Frascr), who replied that authority had: been- given for that course to be adopted m necessitous cases. ...Mr. F-. McComish was elected to the chair.

When the.Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) was in Dunedin some : months ago, said Mr. McComish, he gave a verbal promise to Mr. M. Silvorstone, chairman .of the finance committee of the City .Council, that if it became necessary for the council to put men off the various works it had in hand they would not have to wait a .fortnight to receive sustenance or some other form of relief, but would receive it immediately. The men present at the meeting had been put off, however, and the Acting Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) had refused to honour Mr. Armstrong's promise because" he" could find no written record of it. •"I think that, was a petty action, Mr. McComish added, "since the. promise was given to Mr. Silverstone, who is prominent in civic life, and in the Labour Party. Mr. Webb couid have got into touch with Mr. Armstrong in England by radio telephone and, found out whether the promise was made. This matter affects 120 men as well as women and children dependent on them, and something must be done immediately." . . . The men had listened to a "salvo from big guns of the Labour Party" at a meeting on Friday, Mr. McComish continued, and had heard speeches from the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones), Mr. J. W. Munro, M.P., the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox), and Mr. Silverstone, but had not received any hope that sustenance would be granted during the stand-down • period. It now rested with the men to take what action they deemed necessary.

Mr. R. Mathcson quoted the case of one man who had been in hospital for two months- and had spent another three months ill at home. He started work with the Corporation last Thursday, arid was' dismissed on Friday. When he went to get sustenance he was told to stand down. Would that have happened even under a Tory Government? Voices: No! ' ' After some further discussion it was decided to send the following urgent reply-paid telegram to the Acting Prime Minister: — "Protest meeting of men dismissed by Dunedin City Council demands sustenance immediately." The following reply was received from Mr. Fraser:— "With reference to your telegram, efforts are being made by the Labour Department to provide further works for men dismissed by the council. In' the meantime the district employment officer, Dunedin, has authority to place men on sustenance without stand-down in necessitous1 cases."