WORKLESS EX-SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 245, 15 October 1926, Page 7

WORKLESS EX-SOLDIERS.

MINISTER'S STRANGE ATTITUDE. RESENTED BY THE R.S.A. Strong criticism ( ,f the attitude of th» Government to the unemployment question was voiced at last night's meeting of the Auckland Returned SoldiersAssociation. The president, Mr. S. Austin Carr, explained that he and the secretary bad acted as members of the committee that was set, up at the suggestion of the Premier during the winter. While the committee was working numbers of returned men were employed either through their own employment bureau or in conjunction with the Labour Bureau, with which the association had been working in close co-operation, endeavouring to relieve the unemployment that was rife. Whep. the position was relieved the committee did not meet regularly. Several weeks back the Minister of Labour asked the Mayor of Auckland to get the committee together again, as he understood unemployment was ajraiu rife in Auckland. Last week tbe association received an intimation from the Mayor that the Ministers of Land and Labour would meet tin; committee on the 12th. "Imagine our feelings," continued Mr. Carr, "when we read in the newspaper the remarks made by the. Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, to the effect that the meeting referred to was a deputation to him in connection with unemployment, whciva- ihe fact is it was the*ri-<iilf ... -i i .-.jii.-t from him that the committee v. ulrl discuss matters with hi;:.. It iu-i shows, • much as I regret to ._i ii. thai tho I Minister of Labour -the Hon. I.'. J. i Anderson) is a!.-o|ute|-. hoodwinking ! the public :ni<l I n.it ing ihis uncinph.y- . ment bii-nie.-.- v. .th contempt. It seems 1 to mc mtv un.-eenily for I he Minister of La I.on i- V, ael on these line-. ' The secivtarv of tl"" associa I m.ii (Mr. K. 11. Sharp! 'endorsed the preside.,, _• , and added that help had I - i.romised. hut none was fm I licomiiig The President: We are absolutely led ' „,,; we cannot get any sat.sl.ict ion from them. In the course of the discussion that ' followed it was pointed out I hn I some : of the men could not do the pick and shov_»l work which was offered by the Government, and the result was that some of them did not emu «/ a daw Eventually it wa. decided, ill the suggestion of the president, to I r.v and pet unemployed ret nine.l men Work nt Riverhead in connection ml It I he treeplanting scheme. Mr I •_■■ -:>••] lie- ,lu;----ging of the shallow hole-, lot Ihe young trees would be mon- Miif.iMe for tho men thaii heavy roml woik.