“A SORE POINT.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5137, 10 June 1927, Page 4

“A SORE POINT.”

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF WAGES. DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW. “ There a.re thousands and thousands of New Zealanders who would as sooon sacrifice their lives as sacrifice their principles so far as wages arc concerned,” declared Mr E. L. Hills, of Christchurch, who waited on the Prime Minister and the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister of Labour) on the question of unemployment relief. The question of wages, Mr Hills went on, was a sore- point with a great many of the workers, who believed that the relief wages of 12s and 9s a day were an endeavour on the part of the Government to bring about a general reduction. “ You say you want to see a high standard of living,” he said, “ but you must realise this is impossible on the wages you offer to the unemployed.” Tiie Prime Minister : Again we look at this from different points of view. Our experience proves that if we put the men on standard rates of pay we can never get rid of them. We now have the Public Works Account loaded up with resposibility of four or five thousand men more than are necessary. It is obvious that if we went on like this it would be a charge against the country, and the position would be much worse for the nron themselves later. In carrying out .our developmental work—-whatever it may be—we have to stick by those who stuck by and worked for us in the earlier days of the work. It would not be in the interests of the country to load up our borrowing liabilities in trying; to meet at the moment what is considered to be a very difficult period. It would do more to disturb conditions here than anything else I can think of. Mr Hills : It is impossible for thQ men to get something else to do under present conditions. That is why some of them took or: the relief work.

Mr Coates: I know that Christchurch is difficult. Under the scheme we are proposing an endeavour is being made to decentralise, so as to keep the majority of the unemployed from flocking to the one place, fou yourself know that as soon as there is any work there is a* rush to the city for it.

Mr Hills : Tire rush to the city is not due so much to the work that is offering there as to the lack of it in the country districts. The Prime Minister : That is so. It is purely economic, however. The farmer has done what everyone else had to do. He found he had to reduce his costs, and consequently do with fewer men.

Mr Hills: Work cannot be goX at any price in the country. Mr Coates : Why did the men not take the jobs that were offering "> 1 have had visits from dozens of fellows —and among them returned soldiers — who have said to me : “Is there any chance of a job ?” I have offered them 9s and 12s a day, and they say : “We don’t care. Wc shall have it rather than hang about town.” I have Iliad notes from some of them to say they are making the best of things and doing all right. Mr Hills : You will find that only those who are driven to it by starvation will accept the relief wages you offer.

Mr Anderson : Oh, that is not correct.

Mr Coates : I don’t know. Mr Hills anight be voicing the psychology of anany of the men. They might wait till they get bigger wages. But those who wait are those who can afford to. Then. there is the man who cannot find himself able to exist. He takes our conditions and says, “As soon as I c|m get something better I’m for it.” Mr Hills : Yes ; it is the law of

necessity that has driven them to it