A MEETING OF PROTEST

Evening Star, Issue 21747, 15 June 1934, Page 13

A MEETING OF PROTEST

UNEMPLOYMENT POLICY CONDEMNED NUMEROUS RESOLUTIONS PASSED A genera! condemnation of New ZeaUnemployment policy was made at a meeting of protest iu tile Bums doll last night, the meeting, which was called by the Otago District Council of Unemployed, was presided over by Mr J. Hastie, president of the North Dunedin unemployed . organisation There was a good attendance of men and women, and the lower part of the hall was Well filled. Seven speakers each of whom was limited to fifteen minutes, addressed the gathering. The Chairman said that the meeting had been called for the purpose.of asking for better conditions for school children, bettor administration of the mayor’s relief funds, and lor the abolition uf die compulsory camp ..,v„n. The speaker said that the whole of the unemployed organisations nad muted to protest against the existing conditions of the unemployed workers. Mr J. Gilchrist referred to the medical aspect arising limn unemployment. He said he did not claim to be a medical man, but he would like to give them some details regarding the causes of disease. These causes were found in bacteria, which became dangerous when the resistance of the body was weakened. jifhe speaker.then spoke of the homes in Dunedin where, iu this land of plenty, there was a scarcity of food in the cupboards. When there was an insufficiency of food, of bedding, and of clothing the resistance to disease was lowered. He claimed that in many of the unemployed camps in New /.emaiid the hygenic conditions were very bad. Dr Thomson had informed him, ho said; that he had diagnosed men as unfit for camp who were over sixty years of age, and as regarded the others declared unfit Dr Thomson said that in every case turned down he had a reason for his action. Mr Bromley, of the Unemployment Board, had then toid the medical examiners that men declared unfit had to be declared fit and sent to camp, fie said this was nothing less than a dastardly crime. They were sowing a weakness in _ their future generations through the inability of the parents to obtain proper nourishment for their children. Mr T. Kelly, of the North Dunedin Workers’ Friendly Association, said that two years ago the unemployed had forced the Unemployment Board to alter its policy. They had been told then by Air M. Silverstone that once the board got into its stride it would make it bell on earth for the unemployed. Mr Silverstone had been right, and the concessions granted them two years ago had simply opened the way. for the impositions which were now placed on them. The speaker said that m Palmerston North the unemployed bad forced the Prime Minister to suspend sending men to the camps. Reference was made to the “ cuts ’ which had been imposed on them by the board, and to the fact that men with large families bad their rations stopped. The board had now decided to dispose of the unemployed . carcassand put it anywhere it liked, and they were allowing the board to do it. Why could they not get the same concession that had been forced from the Prime Minister in Palmerston Northr The board bad not decided what it was going to do with the women. A woman’s voice; Drown them. (Laughter.) . . , The speaker criticised the unemployed in Dunedin for the manner m which they were bearing their afflictions, and urged them to form, up with the various organisations. Their newlyformed District Council would show them bow to keep out of the camps. Air R. Matheson, of the South Dunedin Unemployed Association, said that children were going to school ilLclad and under-nourished. He urged the parents not to send these children to the schools. They all knew that £lO,000 had been collected for the relief ot the unemployed in the city, but the Relief Committee JvaS run by the Unemployment Board. They would have to demonstrate to those in authority if they wanted to get anywhere. The mayor had told him that the camps were not compulsory. (Dissent.) J fiat might be so, or.it might not be. Mr C. AUArtbur, Aiornington Relief Workers’ Club, said he did nob want them to cheer him—he wanted to see them squirming in their seats. He would like particularly to refer to Mr Adam Hamilton, Mr Coates, and Air Forbes. The speaker quoted from the verse in the Bible commencing It sinners entice thee consent thou not, and applied the injunction to the members of the Government ho had named. The Government had said they were opt for all classes, but what about the poor unfortunate importer? That was the kind of mob they were, and then they said the workers were disloyal. The unemployed were considered to be-worth a hob. (Laughter.) ’Die men received 32* 6d per week. Pne landlord too £1 per week, the man Is. and the wife Is 6d. Fancy a woman being worth Is 6d. That was what the New Zealand Government said she was worth. The speaker severely criticised Air Forbes, and went on to refer to the treatment he had received on a Government contract. He said that if he had not got a ride he would have had to walk in with his pack from Goodwood to Dunedin. He had been iu Russia. He knew about Russia. He bad read both sides about Russia, and he would be there now if he could. He would sooner be a Russian convict than on the No. 3 scheme. (Applause.) • .. Air L. Hunter, Dunedin North Unemployed Association, said that the position of the unemployed was more tragic than it was three years ago. He criticised the unemployed for not supporting their organisations. Mr G. Geddas, of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement, said that there were three points he wanted to touch on. In his opinion, the sending of men to camps was a violation of the British Constitution. It could only be done under the war regulations, and the war had ended in 1918. Air Geddes said he would niake a statement, and be knew it would not appear m the Press the following morning. Ho would say without fear of contradiction thit the present combination of nations called the British Commonwealth of Nations was-the biggest slave driver the world had ever known. It was far worse in comparison with anything that Rome did. He would rather go to hell the next day than be m Coates’s shoes. The relief depots were a disgrace. He hdd thought that the mayor was going to be a good fellow, but he had fallen in. The mayor had said that camps were not compulsory. “ No; you go down to the doctor, and he is just as bad,” said the speaker. The ruling classes were out to enslave the masses. He was not going into a camp, emphatically declared Mr Gcddes. and they had got to get down to bedrock, and before they could be free they would have to fight for their freedom like their forefathers had. - So far as the children were, concerned, he would say that the children were going to school ill-clad and underfed,

and that in a country flowing with milk and honey for everyone., A Vqice;. Not everyone. Mr Geddes said they did not want to give milk to the children at the schools. They should scud it to their hemes. (Applause.) The speaker concluded by some caustic criticism of the relief depots. Air G. Dale, Otago District Council, referred to the composition of the Undmplovment Board. He said that the board' was a lie. The funds of. the board had been used for every purpose under the sun, but very little had been given to the unemployed. Jockey clubs had received money that had been raised for the unemployed. He had spent two years and a-half iu the unemployed ranks iu Auckland and twelve months in Wellington., They had now the speeding up of men on relief works, and the Dunedin City Council was one of the worst offenders in this respect. The mayor and every one of the councillors were to blame. He had never heard one of them raise a voice against the No. 0 scheme. They had the whip and they were not airaid to use it on the unemployed workers. The speaker dealt with sustenance, and said the manner in which the single men were being treated was most unfair. Alan-made laws could not conflict for an indefinite period with natural laws. (Loud applause.) The single men had not had a fair go. ” hen the camp scheme was first mooted they were told that only the single men were to be sent into camp, but the married men were now also faced with the camps. They had protested through their local bodies and so on, but all to no avail. They had exploited every channel except one, and that was joining up together in a common movement. They would then be able to march through the streets in their might and say they would not go into the' camps. H> was not natural to lie down and starve. He was satisfied that if they organised and acted together the camp scheme would be lifted off them. They would have to demonstrate, and to demonstrate they must have a programme, a tentative programme had, the speaker said, been drawn up by the various organisations. The hardships of unemployed girls were referred to, the speaker stating that they were being exploited. He also spoke of children having to go to school without shoCs. Some |"0,000 had been taken away by the Education Department, and 3,000 had been voted for armaments. The polg-v of the District Council, concluded the speaker, was as follows

Demands Regarding Depots. (1) Better administration; (2) eight bags coal per month; (3) free clothing for all unemployed and then- wives; (4) free footwear add clothing for school children of the unemployed; (o) all food orders to be granted without a doctor’s or minister’s certificate; (6) school books to be granted tree until such time as pressure is brought to bear-on the Government; the immediate resignation of the existing Alayor’s Relief Committee. Camp Demands.*-(l) No compulsory camps; (2) sustenance according to 1930 Relief of Unemployment Act, -with this amendment —“ that sustenance be paid during period of unemployment”; (3) where work js required to be performed, such work to be paid for at full trade union or standard rates of pay. RESOLUTIONS. Mr Hunter moved —“ That this meeting demand that His Worship the Mayor call a meeting of the citizens of Dunedin to express an opinion whether it is advisable to conscript relief workers into camps, also to _consider the tragic position of their wives and families, and through the meeting to make a strong protest to the Government for the abolition of the compulsory sending ot men to camp.” Mr Townley said that in view ot the extravagant promises made by the mayor during his election campaign he would move-— ** That this mass meeting of Dunedin citizens desires to place on record its utter disapproval of the vacillating attitude of the mayor of this city (the Rev. E. T. Cox) for the following two reasons:—(l) That he made certain promises to the unemployed during big election campaign which he has failed to keep; (2) that he bus failed to have the funds of the Mayor’s Relief Committee administered in a humane and proper manner. Therefore, we are of the opinion that the actions of the mayor constitute a definite betrayal of the unemployed of Dunedin.”

The motion on being put to the pieating was declared carried, there being three dissentient votes, A member of the audience said that they had beard a lot of talk from the stage about the mayor, but he held that the mayor would have carried out fiis promises if her had received- a backing.—(Dissent.) The Chairman: He can resign as mayor of the city, can’t he? Mr S. Ikin moved-— 14 That this meeting of Dunedin citizens record its protest against tiie administration and waste of public money carried on by the Unemployment Board. We also protest against the filling in of U.B. forms every two months by unemployed meii, and also against investigators being sent round to cross-question our wives when we are at work, to find out if the forms have been filled in- correctly.” The motion was carried.

Mr Powell moved—“ That this meeting urges upon the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement in Wellington the necessity of calling for a simultaneous demonstration in every centre in New Zealand at the earliest date possible. ” The motion was carried.

The final resolution was moved by Air Gilchrist. It read as follows: • 44 That this mass meeting of Dunedin citizens enter its emphatic protest against the actions of the Unemployment Board in forcing unemployed mCn into camps against their will. We of the city are of the opinion that the object of fhis imposition is to draft men to camps for ha purpose of keeping them away from cities and organisations which are prepared to struggle for better conditions and standard of living of unemployed. No excuse can justify any body of persons forcing men apart from their wives and families and forcing men to,work under intolerable conditions. Wo agree that representations innumerable have been made to the U.B. asking them to withdraw compulsory camps, the board has refused, and accordingly-w r e agree with the tactics suggested by the District Council aftd promise our full support. We do this in the interest of our wives and children, and demand that where a registered uUeniployed man refuses efimp work, either U.B. or P.W.D., be shall be allowed to continue under. scheme No. S or receive full sustenance.” The motion was carried.