UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1930, Page 3

UNEMPLOYMENT

DERUTATAION TO MINISTER

FROM ALLIANCE OF LABOUR

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 20

A deputation, from the Dstrict Council of the Alliance of Labour waited on the Minister of Labour to-day in regard to unemployment. Introducing the speakers, Mr P. Fraser, M.P., said that the position at Wellington had reached unprecedented proportions. There were 600 men registered as unemployed. That meant at last a thousand out, of work. The Chairman of the District Council, Air Bromley, said that it was an established fact that, since the present Government had assumed office, unemployment had continued on the upgrade, despite all that the Government might have done to relievo it. He was prepared to assert there were 600 men unemployed in Wellington at present. That constituted a record for this time of the ’year,' and going bade for many years.

Air Bromley said the deputation had no solution, to suggest, hut tile Minister of Labour had recently stated that the second report of the Committee set up to investigate the problem contained valuable suggestions which, if acted on, would go sonie distance 1 towards, solving the trouble, and the. deputation submitted that no time should bo lost in releasing this report and that it was the job of the Government to act on its recommendations. The Labour bodies, he said, were ready to cooperate in any action which the Government was prepared to take which showed a reasonable chance of relieving the problem.

The Minister of Labour, Air W. A Ye itch, said that he would ask the Cabinet Unemployment Committee to meet as early as possible and take the whole question into serious consideration in the light of what had 'been said by the various speakers. He gave an assurance that the Government meant to do their utmost; 'o meet the \inemjloymeut situation. 1 The Minister said that there was si misunderstanding on the part of Mi’' Bromley when he believed that the. Government was trying to hide the unemployment figures. Air Fraser said that they had always got the figures' from the Coates’s Government. Surely the Minister’s Government did not stand for suppression. Mr Veitcli said that he did not consider that it was necessary for the figures to be published. The Minister said he would refuse ; to give an assurance that the figures would be published. He would, give a guarantee that the whole matter would be considered by the . Unemployment Committee. With regard to the co-operation of the local bodies, the Minister said that a great many of the bodies had over-expended in their endeavour to afford relief from the revenue accounts. There has been no cases, he pointed out in vhich the Government had refused to pay out subsidies. To a question by ATr Bromley as to what was the present position of unemployment nationally, Air Veitch said that the last figures were 2402 registration over the whole of the Dominion, whereas four weeks ' ago there were 4726 registrations. He realised that all of tho unemployed did not register.

•Charity begins at home. This, in effect,' is the policy of the Government in regard to the oversea labour offering for New Zealand. When replying to a deputation to-dav, the Minister of Labour (Hon. W. A. Veitch), said that the relations between Australia, and New Zealand were most friendly, but when it came to a question of relief of unemployment, the Government of the latter country had a duty to its own people. It should be clearly understood that, whatever was done in the way of relief was for New Zealand only. Mr W. Uasii, M.P.:—“That ought to bo said in London too!” Mr Veitch said he agreed. The Minister's remarks were prompted by a. member of the deputation pointing out that Australians had applied for work on the Mount Victoria. Tutnnel.