UNEMPLOYMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1931, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

FARM LABOUR. RELIEF SCHEME. £150,001) TO BE SPENT. ( By Telegraph—Per Brens Association) w iUjulN'l* l U.\, u<.nu,«ry Authorisation lor tne expenditure of £ISO,UUO t»y the Cnemp.ovm .in. Board upon what is considered to be the first of its major schemes "'as “liven to-day by the Prune Minister m liis capacity as Minister of Finance. Thus announcement was made by him alter ,a deputation from the unemployed.

It is hoped by the Board that when the scheme is-put into operation, it will be possible to find at least a few days’ work each week for every man at present unemployed in New Zealand.

Referring to the scheme after the Prime Minister had spoken, the Minister of Labour, who is also Chairman of the Board, said it was only • fair to the Board to state that there were some details not fully arranged. As soon as they had been completed, a full statement on the plan Would be made, and he thought everyone would then agree the best had been done by the Board to find some work for every unemployed person for every week of the year, and as soon as details of the scheme had been completed, it would Be possible for steps to “be taken in every part of New Zealand to see to every man out of work, and to assure every man that he would be assured of a certain amount of work each week to help him over the difficult period. A member of the deputation asked if the Board, would take into account a man’s physical disability. The Minister said he hoped it would be possible to assist every man even if it were physically impossible for him to undertake hard work. However, it should be understood that the Act was not one for the provision of invalids’ pensions. An interjector assured the Mini'Dr that the deputation understood tins, and that the difficulty of meeting the whole position was fullv appreciated. The Minister said th e Board luv 1 under consideration the position o* farm work as part of the scheme, and he hoped that single men would take advantage of this. They might raise objections to the rates of pay, but they should take the work as a temporary expedient, for it would provide them with employment, a home, and good food. Some of the farmers-would he specially selected in order to make certain that the men sent to them received a “fair deal;’’ The scheme was an earnest nttemnt bv the Board to meet (-be problem. Under it a single man would receive, according to bis wants, equal opnortunitv with a married man. The Board would announce the details of the next few davs. and D wns hoped that full co-operation would he received from .every quarter.

MR FORBES’S FIAT.

WELLINGTON, January 29; * *xf anyone has the idea that lie is going to get easy money under this Act, he will soon find his mistake,” declared the Prime Minister, in an emphatic reply to a deputation, organised by the' Trades and Labour Council, and the Labour Party, which waited upon him to-day, with a demand that the sustenance should he paid if the Government or the unemployment Board could not find work. The Prime Minister added:— “They will have to do work for it. That is better for them and better for the country.” Mr Forbes made it clear that he would not stand for sustenance payments without work being done. He said that the letter and the spirit of the Unemployment Act, was never that these payments should be made in the form of a dole, and lie said that he would not stand for this being done. The Unemployment Board was engaged upon finding employment, but until it went to him with a confession that it was unable to carry out this part, of its functions, lie would not say what would be done regarding payments to the unemployed. If the Board found that it could not find work, the Government would find a sysieni whereby work would be found. Speaking before the Prime Minister’s reply, Mr It. Semple M.P., said that the National Labour Party and the Trades and Labour Council, which had originated the deputation, were prepared to co-operate with the Government in solving the problem., They were not in favour of sustenance being paid to men who refused work. Where work was offered at standard rates, the unemployed should take it. The Government should make a vigorous effort to find work for the men who were physically fit, but it would be unreasonable and uncharitable, he said, to allow these men to starve if no work could be found. Jn that case, those who were unable to get work, should receive something upon which to live. M r Walter Nash M.P., said that the relief of unemployment cost the Government about £1,400,000 last year, but the Unemployment Board would have only about £1,200,000 this year to meet a much worse position. It was not fair, lie said, that the Board should have boon shouldered with the full responsibility for the unemployment situation from the moment that

it first met oil November 25th. The JL , Labour Movement, both Industrially an( j politically, would help towards a ' solution, hut if they had to wait for some weeks, or months, before wprk

wits found for the 16,009 who are out of work at the present time, something would have to he done in the meantime.

Mr T. Bundle, a member of the Executive of the Trades and Labour Council said that many of the men out- of work had found it hard to pay the first instalment of their levy, and everyone was under the impression that the sustenance payments would be made if work could not he found. He said that Mr Forbes’s statement to contrary had caused much consternation.

The Leader of the- Opposition, Mr Coates had moved an amendment in the House that no sustenance should be paid without work being done, but this amendment had been defeated, thus showing that the majority of the Members did not acree.

The Minister of Labour;—'Tt did not mean that. It meant that the Government did not want it in the hill. To put it as lightly as I can, it seems that we have been let down as far as sustenance is concerned and it is tantamount to getting money under false pretences,” Mr Bundle added. Mr A. Parlane, Secretary of the Drivers’ Union, also urged that the sustenance should be paid if voik could not he found.

RESOLUTIONS PASSED

1 HAW ERA, January 30

One hundred unemployed held an orderly meeting last night to consider the local position. There are 153 registered, who with dependents totalled 50°. The meeting passed a resolution addressed to people in distress, stating many were in desperate straits, and appealing for public co-operation in finding work. They also resolutioned (a) urging the Prime Minister that immediate action in finding work or providing the sustenance necessary, also urging the immediate calling of Parliament, (b) Advising the chairman of the Unemployment Board that subsidies for work offering were insufficient to provide even a bare existence. <'in stating they would he compelled to ask for sustenance if work was not forthcoming, (v) Requesting (oncm xnent to place gangs of unemployed on abandoned farms, and when the lane was cleared give it for use tree ot taxation for a period, to solecteu workers.