THE XMAS BONUS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 December 1932, Page 4

THE XMAS BONUS

Sir, — In your issue of the appears a letter under the nt j plume of "Workman" who fei eloquent on the subject of fortunate brothers, left high a J as a result of the econoxnic J sion. Evidently to stress his p{M picks as a basis of his argumE.« fact that the legion of the ur^l ed army, 69,000 souls, is to recejj sum of £160,000 as a Christmas >■ With his case for the Go\J employee who through the Ciirj and New Year days falling K Sabbath will receive only onefl holiday instead of the cus::fl three, I am in complete aecoriB The laws of our land stat-H 'every employee of the State « over two months eontmuous® should receive the three day5fl

sincerely hope this will be thl but for one who is fortunate* t'o be in.constant 'employmeiB rate of pay and conditions, thB no comparison to the unemp!;® whom bad times have comefl vengeance. Ef Your correspondent take; M exception to the fact that relislH ers will receive payment for night's work relieved of the of working for it. Did this poi® oeeur to him? Many good® through no fault of their o® been on relief works since t® Ception, simply because no otb® has been offering. Christmas® such as this are rare. ® It ia| evident that he hasi® on relief work or is not very® (ant. The lot of the relief v® indeed hard especially in the® the family man with children,® who has f'aeed adversity in ti® of hard times, I can, withonl® on my imagination, realise fc® of the relief worker who® family to support. ® A case in point. I know c:® sober, intelligent industris:® zen with a family of four, ® dweller, three weeks work at® a "week. Stand down week rei.® weekly wage to £1 17s 6d, S::® odd casual work comes his r® in these times of stress littkH work is offering, and "Wok§|| indignant that the Unern/® Board which works in co/j® with th'e powers that be, sho:® to 69,000 the sum of £160/® Christmas grant. Does not "l®j draw his wages from therer® thig country, and the relief® contributes his mite to keep®| a joh at a rate of pay far®| to that of the relief workagP Where is his sense of jurl« ' bemoans the fact that £160/® ; be provided to enable relief ®| to draw a pittance, so that tijKjE worker can enjoy the fesfe® at home, and perhaps will fejlp supplement his meagre eanj® jobs that corne when Chik^E with us. He evidently camt'.HK ise the fact that others be/gp self contribute to unemplop^B "llef. My own case, I am at p®| Govarnment employee and the end of the year have c;®| £8 in the form of wages tax,®| ing the past three years I ®| fortnnate 'enough to have^g employment for 2i yeatsof^g iad, just over two yea|'3 "^p ernment employ at a gooijg pay, I realise just as all -s[!®| p-ersons should, that the r times of stress should he and willingly contribute to tlllp ation of distress among ^g||| workers who instead of v: j Wm good rate of pay have along on a wage that much heartache to the graol|® women who smilingly mateaK of hard times and make wage provide food and all the family on a margin ®E deed small. Igsi

"Workman" doesn't have t-9® he has continuity of stand down week is not port®S lot. xn the case of the G®|| employee two years ployment entitles him to afj^® holiday on full pay, this :g||| revenue of the country, wails the fact, that the/--^^ *er is going to have a holic-g® In his case, presuming te J® ruiing rate his leave to £5 16s for the two day. Now take the case c'®|| worker. Th'e maximum tia^®p drawn by a man with a f ortnight's spell is £5. A i®|I would only draw £1 in iod. Hard factB but nevei M true. .B® Some of the single 111811 marooned in isolated cani^|®| their home for months. 0. have to he a student of realise after clothes, etc.,^g bought, that the singk is hardly enough to PUG®|| thing for his trip home a' . §®j| and T think the action ij|l p'loyment Boarfi is to h(!l'g|||| not condemned. pSt Tlien there is the case (||||| lief workers" children. as eiititled to some smChristmas as the childi'e11 .a® ployed man. The NazareneJ®| back at the dawn of tory, said "Suffer come unto Me." In His ••fiSgl greatness all were eque' ing heart was with' t'ie and suffering. . If "Workman" wishes point why not protest legislators who will h^two weeks' holiday over season at a rate of sa'a/®|l than that which he dra ®® point for him, the law Dli|®ijj wisdom have granted j®|| full year's extra pay the life of Parliament w .BKm why pick on the under all the consideration ,®g| of all sections of the I only wish all wel to keep up the standar in consequence my the relief worker and no man" wh'ose plight pared with the 69, OM the unemployed of t|llS Hoping that an 'this up ,and thanking / JIKjl lowlng me tp present of view,— I am, etc.,