UNEMPLOYED BOARD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 131, 16 March 1931, Page 3

UNEMPLOYED BOARD

REPLY TO CRITICISM. WORK IN EARTHQUAKE AREA. (Special to "The Guardian.") WELLINGTON, March 14. It was hoped that the plight of the unemployed would not be exploited for political purposes, but apparently certain newspapers opposed to the Government consider a time of industrial crisis as an ideal occasion for destructive criticism. One northern morning paper attacks the Unemployment Board's policy with regard to the grant of £IO,OOO for unemployed relief in Napier and Hastings, asserting that the Board "nominally has at its disposal an annual fund of about £1,200,000 with some 27,000 men available for any scheme it advances." Commenting 011 this statement the Minister of Labour (who is chairman of the Unemployment'Board) says:— "The Board has a right to expect helpful criticisms from Press and politicians, but this is neither helpful nor sensible. "If it were possible to transport to Hawke's Bay the whole of the unemployed of the Dominion and put them to work at 14s a day, they would exhaust a year's revenue (in wages alone) in sixty-three days. What was to become of them at the end of that period is not suggested by the critic. "It is hardly necessary to point out that such a scheme is quite impracticable, but the suggestion indicates to what length a biased viewpoint will lead a critic. "The Board's contribution of £IO,OOO is for the relief of unemployment in the stricken areas, with a condition that the restoration of public, utilities shall have preference in the work of rehabilitation. The people most concerned are grateful for this evidence of the Board's practical sympathy and progress is being made in the work preparatory to rebuilding the two towns.

"It cannot be emphasised too strongly," concluded the Minister, "that to attempt to make political capital out of so grave an issue is not playing the game. For the most part, the Press of the Dominion has been most helpful and sympathetic with the Board's efforts, realising their tremendous task, and it is regretted that their good example in the interests of tlio unemployed has not been followed in till cases."