NO REASON GIVEN

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1932, Page 7

NO REASON GIVEN

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD’S • ACTION.

RAETIHI COMMITTEE DISBANDED.

The action of the Unemployment Board in disbanding the unemployment committee of nine al Raetihi and appointing in its stead another comliuuee ol three members led to the adjournment oi the House being moied_ yesterday afternoon by Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino), to enable members to discuss the position, ivir Langstone said the board had gi len no reason for its action beyond the statement that the larger committee was unwieldy. . Mr Langstone said that when the unemployment legislation was established provision was made for the setting-up of local committees and the members of the disbanded committee took the action' of the board as a personal affront. 1

Hr J. A. Nash (Govt., Palmerston) said the Unemployment Board was doing good work, and it was only right that! it should have power to deal in some way with committees as it had done at Raetihi. /

Mr J. O’Brien (Lab., We Viand) said if members of Parliament were to be sniffed at by members of a paid. Government board, their position would be intolerable. Mr Langstone had been treated discourteously - and the House should protest against what was a most high-handed action by the board.

The Acting-Minister of Employment, Hon. A. Hamilton, said there had been a lot of > difficulties’ in the work of the Raetihi committee. It was probably made up of a mixture of interests, and a lot of time was taken up in discussing matters other than the relief of the unemployed. He thought the same applied' to a good many other committees. Two or three members to assist the certifying officer would achieve better results than a big committee.. He did not think the members of the disbanded committee would be very grieved at what had been done, for they had been relievd of a very arduous task. He saw no reason for any vote of censure on the hoard. The incident did not warrant the importance placed on it by Mr Langstone. The motion* to adjourn was lost by 41 votes to 19 and the question lapsed.