RELIEF PETITION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 September 1932, Page 6

RELIEF PETITION

H.

DANIELS,

(To the- Editor) . '' Sir, — In a sub-leader published in your issue of Tuesday, you deal with the petition at present in circulation among the Rotorua relief workers. You state that the wisdom of the request contained in the petition, "quite apart from its probable futility, is extremely doubtful." You also suggest that comparison with the metropolitan areas would probably react to the disadvantage of the Rotorua men. I append a comparative table based on the sustenance payable to men working under the metropolitan and Rotorua rates for the present week. As you will see, the men in Rotorua are being paid 12s 6d per day. This rate ceases on the 17th inst, and from the 19th inst, the 10s per day rate comes into opel'ation, without the abolition of the stand-down week. The local unemployment committee, however, in a praiseworthy attempt to maintain the present sustenance. level, is endeavouring to allow the men to work extra time. The duration of the attempt will depend solely on the success. of all concerned in the effort to maintain or raise the level of the distriet allocation. Hence the petition. Were we to emulate Brer Rabbit, as you suggest, Brer Government, in his blind, unguided career through the- economic jungle, might plant yet another of his rough-shod hoofs on the already well trampled carease of the relief workers. In any event, Brer Covernment's recently instituted No. 11 scheme makes the idea of emulating the rabbit seem distastefnl — Yonrs. etc.

Secretary, Relief Workers' Assn.

The table is as follows: — Metropolitan scale 10s per day; single man, working 8 days per month £3; married man, no child, working 10 days per month, £5; married man, one child, working 12 days per month, £6; married man, two children, working 14 days per month, £7 ; married man, three or more children, working 16 days per month, £8. Rotorua, 12s 6d per day; single man, working six days per month, £2 0s 6d; married man no child, working severn and a-half days per month, £4 13s 9d; married man, one child, working nine days per month, £5 12s 6d; married man, two children, working nine days per month, £5 12s 6d; married man, three children, working 10 J days per month, £6 11s 3d; married man, four or mOre children working 12 days per month, £7 10s.