UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1930, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

LIST OF NOAIINATIONS

(By Telegraph—Dress Association).

At ELL INGTON, November 8

Nominations closed to-day for members ol the Board to be established under the Act passed last session. 1 The -Minister of Labour (the Hon. 8. G. Smith) will make selections from the list and recommend appointments to the Governor-General and in addition recommend the appointment of two Government representatives.

A! IXISTER’S COAIM ENTS,

AYELLI.NGTON, Nov. S

The A!inister of Labour, Air Smith, re-1 erring to the Otago. Labour Council's attitude, said:—

‘‘in lii'h method of protest against the method of appointment of workers representatives on the Employment Board Air Robinson said : “Evidently in this case you do not contemplate giving them a vote, hut you intend rather to select from the list of nominees, irrespective of the membership of the nominating union, or unions as tho cage may be, two men whom von think will bent represent 'the Government Party, but who, because they have been nominated by industrial unions of workers, will be labelled as “workers’ representatives.” The method of their appointment and the manner in which they may be removed if thy Government finds them unsuitable show that the Government intend to bring economic pressure to bear upon those persons to ensure that they, as members of the Unemployment Board, will not do or say, anything of which tho Government party would not approve. Hence they will be representing not the workers, but the 'Government Party. As you have not even allowed sufficient time to enable all the unions to nominate persons for appointment, it is safe to asHiuue that the nominating process is only a matter of form and that to all intents and purposes the alleged workers’ representatives are already appointed.

“The letter concludes: ‘Unless you are prepared to allow us a vote on the selection we shall be com]ieUcd to advise our affiliationts not to compromise themselves hv recognising the Unemployment Board in any way, not to lend themselves to the staging of a sham, and not to hope for anything from a Board that pretended to be something it was not.’ ” The Minister -added: “I purposely forwarded my reply to the president of the Council because 1 hesitated to think that either he or the workers generally would approve of such a tone being adopted in connection with the development of a scheme designed to be of incalculable benefit to the working classes and I question whether any member of the Council other than Air Robinson was acquainted with the actual context of tho letter to which I took exception. Parliament approved of the method of appointment) to the U unemployment Board and I, as Minister, must carry out tho terms of the statute and I intend to do so,”