SHOULD ORGANISE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 89, 5 December 1931, Page 5

SHOULD ORGANISE

(Press. Assn.-

ADV!CE TO WORKLESS UNEMPLOYED MEN MEET AUCKLAND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT DUTIES OF TRADES UNIONS

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

AUCKLAND, Friday-. About five hundred unemployed men met this morning at the old railway station site, and discussed with Auckland members of Parliament the curtailnlent of the No. 5 Scheme. The members agreed to eonfer and to see if something can be done to get something extra for the unemployed, in view of the approach of Christmas. The chairman of the Unemployed Association, Mr. Devereux, presided, and Mr. Lark, explained .the purpose of the gathering. Messrs M. - L Savage, A. Harris, W. J. Jordari, H. G. R. Mason, W. E. Pari'y, J. A. Lee, F. W-. Schramm, and A.S. Riehards, M's. P. were present and each promised to do what he could for the men. "Should Father Agitation." Mr. M* J. Savage, M.P., for Auckland West, said he intended to wire to the Minister in Charge of Unemployment asking him if he would, during his visit to Auckland in the next day or two, meet the Auckland members to discuss the matter. In the present situation there was a distinct duty devolving on the trades unions. The unemployed should have something in the nature of an organisation that could speak authoritativeJy for them. It was no use one man saying one thing in one part of the Dominion and another in another part contradicting that statement; there should be some official body. He strongly urged the unemployed to send a deputation to the Alliance of Labour and the trades unions, who should father the agitation for the relief of the unemployed. The men in work to-day did not know when their turn of unemployment might come, and it behoved every one connected with Labour to see that the organisation was strong and comprehensive. The meeting unanimously passed resolutions "asking the Auckland members of Parliament to meet immediately and discuss the position; calling upon the Government to take steps to restore avenues of employment that would enable the workers to earn sufficient to provide the necessities of life; calling upon the Government to rescind the order curtailing work under scheme No. 5; and warning the Government that the men who fought for their country in 1914-18 would not hesitate to fight for the lives of their wives and children. "Spying" Suggested. The only discordan,t note was struck at the end, when it was proposed that a certain member of the unemployed workers' executive should sit with the m°mbers of Parliament while they were discussing matters, the idea being that the member could furnish specific cases of hardship. Mr. Lee declined to sit with anyone who had worked against him and his organisation. If anything was to be reported back to the executive he would be willing to meet them again, but he did not want to be "spied upon." The suggestion of "spying" was ; strongly resented by the man whose name had been proposed. Several members in the audience called upoff the chairman to end the meeting and so stop further bickering. The meeting then dispersed, and the members of Parliament promised to confer at once.