STARVATION WAGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 691, 17 November 1933, Page 5

STARVATION WAGES

(Press Assq.—

OAMARU jNPigNANT GISBORNE P-ROTEST RECEIVES WARM SUPPORT OF BOROUGH JOINT MEETING ARRANGED

-By TelegTaph — Copyright) .

Oamaru, T-hursday. The protest from Gisborne agaipst the cutting down of the allocations for relief'was strongly supported by the Oamaru Borough Council to,night. The Mayor, Mr. M- S. Cooney, said that the position in the smaller towns was becoming very acute. Tbe fJnemployment Bqard was not giving the consideration to the matter that it should. He vfas afraid that the boar^l's policy was wrong. The reduction of the allocation to Oamaru was reducthe men to a starvation. wage. The allocation had been cut down without explanation. The present allocation to Oamaru was quite inadequate pnd distress was bepoming very acute. Councillors heartily supported the mayor, it being conteqded that the provincial towns were not receiving a fair deal. Not one-third of the amopnt collected by unemployment tax in Oamaru, it was alleged, was spent in the district, which in comnion with other provincial towns was sending thousands of pounds to the cities, whicl\ had no stpnd-down week. The allocation had been reduced by over £100 a week, which meant increasec( distress to the unemployed. Oamaru should have special treatment as a number of men who had been put off work at the Waitaki hydro-electric works during the depression had come to Oamaru. The council had protested about this two years ago and what they then contemplated had happened. It was deeided to strongly support the protests from Gisborne and arrange a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, Retailers' Association and the Oamaru Borough Council to further the protest.