Relief Workers Must Remain as Casuals

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 837, 4 December 1929, Page 8

Relief Workers Must Remain as Casuals

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION MINISTER STATES POSITION rress .45socia(io» WELLINGTON. Todav A definite statement that it Wls impossible to employ permanent l , all men employed on railway con . struction work, was made by th. Minister of Public Works, the Hon E. A. Ransom, to a deputation rep. resenting the New Zealand Work ers’ Union. Mr. Ransom told Mr. A. Cook, the secretary, that it the Governments hands were forced there would be alternative hut to dismiss the nu.and the onus must be on Mr. Cook himself. The Minister denied that any instructions had gone out that anv standard w ork should be brought down to the standard of relief works. i t was only tin- promise of the Coyer-..' ment to find work for everybody that had led to placing relief worker, j. railway camps. “Apparently.” said Mr. Ttanson:. answering one of Mr. Cook’s questions ••vou are more concerned about hobdays and so on than about finding men. work. It seems to me that once a man is placed on relief works he set. about to make it a standard job. and to stick, there. If it is found possible to retain the men they will - t ,„ made standard employees, hut if t is not they will have to be found wort elsewhere, or else discharged.”