THE UNEMPLOYED.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1922, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED.

The conference held on Wednesday evening between representatives of the New Plymouth committee for helping the unemployed and delegates from the Taranaki Workers’ Council may be regarded as satisfactory. The outcome, while allowing the Workers’ Council to carry out its principle of paying award rates for labor on relief works, upholds the decision of the citizens' committee to limit the day’s pay of each worker to twelve shillings, but it was made clear there was to be no distinction made between unionists and non-unionists. In view of the fact that the humanitarian effort set on foot by the citizens’ committee was threatened with extinction owing to the public declining to subscribe funds in consequence of the resolution passed by the Workers’ Council <i»n Saturday, and aggravated by the comments made on the following Monday evening, gratification will be felt at the result of the conference, and the decision arrived at should act as a stimulus to the workers and the public in making the relief works fund a success. There was some straight-out talk by the Mayor and others relative to wrong and derogatory statements made at the Workers’ Council meeting. That was inevitable, and will doubtless prove of service, though it is matter for regret that the air had to be cleared in this way. It is to be hoped that such strictures will ne\er again be necessitated, and that in future there will be a real bond of sympathy and cooperation between the workers and all other sections of the community, particularly when everyone’s help is needed, as at the present time.