MEDICAL TESTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 191, 26 May 1934, Page 8

MEDICAL TESTS

MEN QRDEFfED TO CAMPS.

RELIEF WORKERS’ REQUESTS. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, May 25. A request for a board of three doctors to consider the applications of unemployed men sent to country camps who considered themselves physically unfit for the work was made to the Minister of Employment (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) by a deputation from the Relief Workers’ Union this afternoon.

Mr A. J. Stallworthy, who introduced the deputation, asked whether the accredited representatives of the men would have access to the , officer-in-charge in Auckland (Mr W. Slaughter), as some of the men were unable to state a case. It was stated by the' deputation that one man who had been ordered to camp had to undergo an operation three weeks later, and that another man had been sent to camp after three doctors, had certified that he was unfit. The deputation also asked for increased sustenance pay. The National Unemployed Workers’, Movement made a series of recommendations, including the abolition of relief work, the institution of sustenance, free State social insurance, the abolition of compulsory camps, and the abolition of task work, levy and wages tax, the supply of free boots, and clothing to the unemployed, and the prevention of the eviction of relief workers.

- The Minister promised consideration of the various requests.

WORK IN SCHOOL GROUNDS 1 ,

MINISTERS- REPLY TO DEPUTATION. AUCKLAND, May 25. “If the Unemployment Board admits the principle of allowing relief labour to do ordinary maintenance work, we are gone,” said the Hon. Adam Hamilton (Minister for Employment), replying to a school committees’ deputation which asked him to allow No. 5 scheme mini to be used on school maintenance work. The deputation said that some schools’ grounds had been so much developed that their maintenance was costly, and as the committees were dependent on donations and the proceeds of concerts, etc., they were finding finance very difficult. .Returns from concerts had fallen by 50 per cent. Moreover, the committees had to finance free hot drinks for the children in winter. . The Minister said that if peopfe were allowed to use relief labour for works which should he done in the ordinary way, it merely created unemployment. If the school committees could show that they were not receiving sufficient funds, that was aiiother issue, hut the Unemployment Board was not to blame.