UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1921, Page 1

UNEMPLOYMENT

LAliOljli M I' S PROTEST

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

CHRISTCHURCH, May 30

Messrs E. J. Howard, J. McCombs and D G. Sullivan, Labour members of Parliament, have sent a telegram to Sir F. 1). Bell (Acting Premier), protesting against Die Government’s action in deliberately creating the unemployment problem for the purpose of forcing down wages.

They point out that the plan being pursued is to dismiss men from th. Public Works to curtail the expenditure on public buildings, and to cancel the authorities for works entrusted to the local bodies for expenditure: This is in order, as the Minister of Works has said, to prevent such local 'mdies from competing with one another for men and plant and material the aim being to stabilise conditions and get work done at "a corresponding!;' less capital cost. The Labour M P.’s state they d? dine to believe that the Treasury ri empty, and they contend that the Pu,>lic Works Fund can be supplemented out of the revenue.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. AUCKLAND, May 30. The Hon Mr Anderson says as far as returns go there was apparently more unemployment in Auckland than in other parts of the Dominion. There was a certain amount in Southland and Otago, but nothing to compare with that in North. It was reported that men who had gone to the North from the South were now returning, and unemployment was principally among men who had been attracted to the North and were now returning. He claimed the Government was doing all possible. The Government was not putting off any of its employees now, and it was the duty of employers and local bodies to assist as much as they could iu retaining their hands and in providing work for others. Answering criticism bv Auckland Labour members of the 10s rate on relief works, the Hon G. -J. Anderson. Minister of Labour, stated that it was absurd to expect that works established as relief works should be paid for at ordinary rates of wages. Ho asserted some of the men could not work a's well as others. Relief works were not established with the object of offering permanent employment, but were of a different grade altogether from ordinary public works. Tt was recognised that many of the men who wore to be employed should be taking on a new occupation. It could not bo expected that they would be worth ns much as iu the occupation they had followed previously. At the same time sufficient was offered to keep the men and their families from want. Mr Savage bad said that men should not be asked to work now for 10s. The Government had no intention oi paying for relief works at the same rate as was paid for permanent public works. Relief works were mostly works which Had been sanctioned but deferred. They wore works of utility, but were not in the same class ns ordinary public works.

RETURNED MEN IDLE. CHRISTCHURCH. May 30 A number of returned soldiers are out of work in Christchurch, according to Mr W. E. Leadley, Secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. Most of the men are labourers, but a few are clerical employees of the Government departments which are reducing staffs.

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