Pleas Made for Workless Men

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 351, 11 May 1928, Page 13

Pleas Made for Workless Men

FEARS FOR WINTER

WELLINGTON DEPUTATION (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. A large deputation of some 200 unemployed gathered at Parliament Buildings this morning to urge upon the Government the necessity for taking immediate action to alleviate distress among the ranks of the workless, both in the Wellington district and the provinces. The Hon. R. A. Wright, Acting-Mi rioter of Labour, received the men, who were described by one of their speakers-. as not unemployable, but men who genuinely want work. The majority of them were married men, he said. It was alleged that the Government had utterly failed in its bounden duty to provide means for helping these men, and their leaders asked the Government not to reintroduce the system of nine and twelve shillings a day respectively, because it was impossible to keep a family on these wages during the winter months, when only a short week could be worked. Mr. Peter Fraser, M.P., with whom was Mr. K. McKeen, M.P., introduced ihe deputation. Mr. Fraser said that there were 500 men registered as unemployed in Wellington, but there were double that number, probably treble, without work. Altogether they asked the Government to take such steps us are necessary to provide work for maintaining these men, their wives and families. Mr. F. Cornwall, president of the Wellington Trades Council, said that the situation would be worse this winter than last, and in a few weeks thousands more would be thrown on the labour market as seasonal work comes to an end. Mr. R. Semple, general secretary of the Labourers’ Union, described the position as nothing short of a tragedy. The trials and tribulations of these men were a nightmare. He suggested that immigration accentuated the position, and quoted the alluring descriptions of life in New Zealand from booklets, “Brighter Britain of the South,’ and “Paradise of the Pacific,” pointing out. the wonderful opportunities in this Dominion for young men. Mr. Wright: Who issued these books?

Mr. Semple: The Government Publicity Department. Some of ihe statements arc bordering upon wicked falsehoods. The books are beautifully got up, and if I were living in a grimy village in London I would want to fly here,

The speaker proceeded to point out the number of boys unemployed, and stated that men were sleeping out in Wellington. The Minister, replying, said that he could sympathise with the men because he had experienced unemployment in his younger days. Unemployment was world-wide, and was an aftermath of the v/ar. No Government in the world had solved the problem, not even the Labour Governments in Australia. If anybody came forward with a reasonable legitimate scheme to give a permanent ablution of the problem the Government would give it every consideration. Pie agreed that unemployment was bad for any country. With regard to young people leaving schools and not being able to obtain a situation, this was a very grave matter and he thought something should be done by employers for them. Tho Government had spent £472,671 on relief works during the last financial year. A number of new schemes was being commenced immediately. Altogether 11,038 were engaged on relief work at the present time. During the coming winter the Government would assist local authorities in the same way as it did last year in subsidising relief work. Mr. Fraser asked that their representations be considered by Cabinet.