UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4544, 16 December 1930, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION

• ♦ UKTHE'R MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY. YORK AT SANATORIUM ROAD AND HOSPITAL. TANGIMOANA JOB HELD HP. WORK AT’ THE HOSPITAL. On Saturday afternoon at the •equest of the Foxton Unemployed Committee Messrs J. Linklater (member Lor the dLstriet) and J. Lo'vvden, of Palmerston N. (Labour Department), visited Pox ton for [he purpose of conferring; with the local committee on matters pertaining' to unemployed conditions. The Mayor (Mr. M. K, Perreau) presided over the meeting and (here were also present (Messrs J. Langdon, D. Ellwood, Sim, 0. Dawson, McEwon, D. Ball, W. Truemen, J. K. Ifornblow and Constable R. Owen. The meeting did a great deal of good, as Mr. Lowdcn was able to explain a number of matters over which misunderstandings had urisen and to indicate the right lines 4,11 wliic-11 tlie committee should net. He gave details of the routine it would be necessary to follow and stated that it was essential for Die committee to elect a Government representative. As far as the big schemes under consideration were concerned lie said, the committee could carry on on the usual lines but with regard to work under the No. 2 scheme it would he necessary for all accounts to.be certified by himself. MV. Ellwood alleged that Koxton unemployed had not removed lair j consideration from Mr. Lowdcn. Seventy men had been sent away from Palmerston North to relief works and not one man drawn from Foxton. In his opinion a separate Labour Bureau should he set u]) in Foxton. Mr. Lowdcn explained that his district extended from Paekaka-i-ikl right up to the northern end of the Mannwatu County Imt lie could say that no man had spent more time and trouble in endeavouring to obtain work, for I‘oxton unemployed than he had. Palmerston North, however, had spent a considerable sum on relief works mid Palmerston North was surely entitled to put. its own men on. Mr. Lowdcn staled that the first allocation of £1.(50 granted Palmerston North was to he sub-divided by the Commissioner and not by the Palmerston North committee and Foxton would receive a portion of this, lie also explained the position with regard to the men employed on the willow planting work. Mr Lowdcn: Very few have been placed anywhere. The position is just as acute in other places as it is in Koxton. He urged, the Foxton committee to get right on the job and push for all its worth t<> get the Highways Board to sanction a grant for the completion of the. Main Highway between Sorenson’s corner and Sanson. Mr. W". E. Barber stated that Tangimoana job was to he reserved for Foxton men alone. Mr. Linklater said that this work was to commence’ immediately. Tie touched on the I lax sub? sidy quest-loin and said that he had that day received advice from the Minister of Labour stating that the Unemployment. Board had considered the subsidy .question and that it could not see its way clear to consider subsidising any industry without first- going into tin* policy of subsidising. According to that it seemed that the subsidy business had been turned down by the Government. Tie hoped that the representatives of the millers and men who were meeting at 'Wellington that day would eouio to some working arrangement as the hemp industry seemed to lie the only solution to the local unemployment problem. lie announced That the Sanatorium Road wodk: would be commenced on Tuesday next and lie wanted ten men to start that morning'. More would be put on later in the week. He had also received word that Tangimoapa Road work would also start- forthwith and ten Koxton men were to go there. Mr. Barber said 'Unit the Mana-w-aTu Comity Council had an old house at Tangimoana which the men could use for accommodation purposes. The following were then added 1,, the Koxton Unemployment Committee: Messrs .J. Linklater, M.P., \V. E. Barber (Manawatu County Council), \Y. Walton (Koxton Dorcas Society), Constable Owen and .J. Lowdeu (representing the Government) and W. Ross (farmers). An executive was- set up as follows to consider any urgent matters: Messrs M. E. Perreau, J. K. Hornblow, D. Ellwood, Sim (Koxton), O. Dawson and McEwen. The matter of employing single men on the works was discussed and it was decided to leave this .matter in the hands of the committee to employ single men where the circumstances warranted. It was decided that Air, Linkla ter forward an urgent- wire To the Engineer to the Main Highways Board asking him if arrangements could be made for the sealing of the Sandon Road and also requesting him to visit koxton to discuss the matter as a deputation could not visit Wellington for the purpose.- (ft was estimated that this work would provide four months work for sixty men. The telegram was despatched and the meeting terminated. During the afternoon Mr. J. Linklater, ARP., addressed the men outside the 'Council Chambeis. He said that for the past six mouths a great portion of his time had

been taken up in connection with the unemployment position in Foxlon and Shannon. He had been in almost constant communication with representatives of the. Workers’ Union and tlaxmillers and had arranged and introduced deputations to Ministers to urge the Government to take whatever steps possible to improve matters. No one deplored more than himself the unemployment situation. In all that he had done he had not allowed party polities to obtrude. ITis object bad been to urge tin* (.iovernment .to find employment for the unemployed in this district. The setting- up of the Unemployment Board had for its object the solving of this problem, hut in Foxton and Shannon it had been found -practically impossible to obtain ithe subsidy. In this connection the Harbour Board had been successful in getting ft subsidy of cr.oo for the Sanatorium Road and this work will he put in hand immediately the details of; the scheme are finalised which should afford I relief for a. time. lie was glad to know a local advisory committee had been sot and he would bo pleased to act with -the local committee in any way to assist. The Hospital Board has been called upon to carry .more. than its share of the burden. He would do wlrai lie eouhl to assist ilie Maimwatu County Council to liimnee its highway scheme which should give employment to -a. large number of men for several months. He ■ was hoping; too, that- a'mutually satisfactory agreement will he arrived at between the millers and workers so that the mills may ho open at an early date. If that was accomplished the dark cloud wliicli now over-shadows them all at present would be dispelled. Mr. .J. Lowden also spoke to the ,i• i• 11 id the conclusion of the meeting and offered them advice on the matter of. registration, etc. The letter received by Mr. Link- ; biter from the Unemployment j Board with regard to the hemp Mil). sidy is as follows: — "I have to advise that the application made to the Government on behalf of the (laxmilling industry Ibr a subsidy per ton on output, in view of the depressed condition of the industry has been referred to the Unemployment Board for consideration. ’Th;e decision of the Board is as follows:“That the Board is not able at present to consider the subsidising (.1; any particular industry without considering the whole policy of Hi is class of subsidy. “It will be readily understood that, a decision-upon ■so - serious a matter of policy as the above, involving the consideration of other industries similarly situated in relation to world markets, cannot be made -at the present time.”

TUB 111 MATANGI- SANSON HIGHWAY. TO MB CONSIDERED TOMOHHOW^ Mr. .J. Linklate.r, M.P., lias received the following reply to his ] wire to the Engineer to the Main Highways Board urging- that the portion of the No. .1 Highway between Sorenson’s corner at Himatangi and Sanson be completed at the earliest moment: — “Matter highway worth between Iliniatangi mild Sanson was brought before the Main Highways Board thy the Manawatu -County Council recently and--comes up for discussion on Wednesday. In view of this there can be no advantage in : interviewing the Fox ton Unemployed •Committee.” Mr. Link la ter- left- for Wellington this morning- to urge upon the Board and; others interested the urgent* necessity .Jiov- .tli-e-eoiisuHi-iim I ion of this work.

euxto.x. comaiittee INDErEN|DENT O'E PA:LAiEIM3TON N. In conversation with Air. True--111:111, secretary to the.-.Buxton Un(•mpbiymeifi Committee,.. Air. P. •)• Small stated yesterday that- the I’oxton Committee was quite independent of Palmerston North and Dial the Certifying. Officer would lie one of the Government officials resident in ‘Poston so that I here would he no delay whatever in payment of subsidy claims under the Board’s No. 2 scheme. He further stated that the amount to he allocated to the .Poston Committee would he decided by the Unemployment Board, probably today and the committee would immediately be advised. £IOO ALLOCATION POE - 1 PONTON. .Mr. \Y. Trueman, secretary to the Poston Unemployment Committee, received the following- telegram this morning:— “‘Pirst allocation by Board for Poston district under scheme number two is one hundred pounds and this amount must not he exceeded without further approval of Board. Forms sent Postmaster, Foxton, who will be Certifying; Officer.” TAXOIiMOANA WO UK HELD UP. Mr. Trueman also received the following letter from Air, A. K. Aieheson, Public Works Office, Palmerston North: — “There seems .to bo some holdII p on the Tangimoana Beach road Work, , and there seems .little .likelihood of the ,being commenced before ’Xmas now. I have been authorised to go ahead with Iho survey work, hut not the construction work as yet. I would be glad, therefore, if you.,would, advise the men that the position is very indefinite, and that they would he better to accept any other work offering. I very much regret trouble and inconvenience caused.”

Six married men, who. have a imber of. dependants, left last glit for Palmerston North, where ev will lie engaged in road foration work at the hospital ounds.

“GUISE OF IdHRISTMN OIIAlRITY.” /

Alarm at the. schemes initiated jiy the Unemployment Board to meet, the unemployment difficulty was expressed at a largely-atten-ded meeting 1 of the Tawa Flat branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union yesterday. ! Tlie following- resolution was carried unanimously:— “That this representative meeting, of the Tawa Flat branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union views with alarm the schemes now being outlined by the Unemployment Board, and. after - having given deep consideration to Scheme N.o 2, wholeheartedly condemns it as a subtle wage-reducing scheme, wrapped in the thin veneer of Christmas-time charity; further, this body of workers feels that the Unemployment Act, apart from being unfair in its method of contributions, constitutes the gravest danger now facing- the wage workers of this Dominion, and is being used by the employers as part and parcel of their universal scheme to reduce wages and lower the stall* I dnrd of living.” RELIEF PAY HATES. Wanganui, IDee. 13. “A ridiculous position will arise if tried and trusted county employees are to work for 12/- a day on one road, and dose by unemployed men, many of whom are iuI experienced in- comparison, re- ( dye 1.4/- a day for : the same class of work,” said Mr.:D. Macintosh, chairman of. the Wanganui County Council, at. meeting-. “I suggest that a conference of local bodies of the No. 8 highway group be called to discuss the matter of a uniform rate of wages. The present : position of some councils paying 12/- per day and others 14/- is not'satisfactory and would not lead to a settlement in the Arbitration Court.” It was decided to call the con- ! I’erence. The Wanganui County Council ;• has informed the Unemployment ; Board that it had no money avail- : able at present for relief of unemployment.