"IT'S A SCANDAL."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 90, 17 April 1929, Page 13

"IT'S A SCANDAL."

ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED.

WITH WINTER COMING ON

HOSPITAL board alarmed

MAY 1 >1; \-KED TO (.ALL MEETING

''It - • >s» tn me there is very little hemp i! 'iic. There. are IIIMI men rcgisC 1 'e.l .it the Labour Department !;•• ie. and nne ha? only to go outside 'in' office any time to see young, fliiie \iiilc men, aide and willing to work if n c,,,dd lie found for tliem. It is * scaii'lil. And the (iovcriiineut is still doing nothiiiL' to relieve the position. It is ah-"lntely ali-tird going on tinkering ■with t In' I liinlt." Thc-C I em,irk- w ere made by Mr. W. Wallaic. i'h.i iima u of the Auckland Hospital Hoard, at yesterday's meeting, when icterriny to unemployment. The secret ai y had ju«t. finished reading a letter from the I'rime Minister on the subject. Mr. Wallace said the hoard had paid in relief payment- £44.17!> in the year which ended on March :il. and the est.im.itc- had liceii exceeded bv £14,47!!.

''Wo can't g'i on indefinitely in this matter. -Mr. Wallace said. " We should ask the Ma \or to call the Auckland member- of Parliament together and see what i- t' > lie done. I his hoard is paving out from CiOOd to £4000 a month jiovv in relief. of it being due to unemployment. When the winter comes Cod only know - what will happen. Surclv there is some work in the eountrv to he doin — the hat hour bridge or something. Ihe position is absolutely alarming. The money for relief of uiiemplovnient should not come out of tiie pockets of the ratepayers. It should be drawn from tho (iovesnment's Consolidated fund."

" Ask For Government Subsidy." Mr. E. 11. Potter said the Government knew the position exactly. "W" should ji.sk the Government for a. vubsidv on the money we have already spent, and also the .Mini the board would undoubtedly be called upon to spots a this yeas," lie said.

Mr. M. J. Co vie: Surely the Cuvernment ciin devise some means to do some ■works which will bo productive—even if their productivity is not forthcoming for some years. At present there nothing to show for relief moncv. To all intents and purposes it is an entire loss. The Government should go out of its way to assist iu thi- nation il crisis. It is a strange tiling that in the event of a national crisis arising out of a war the Government would fpetitl untold stuns and undertake tlie ]ieaviest of tasks. But when this country is faced with a national crisis as far a.-, unemployment is concerned the greatest apathy is being shown. Men »ie not only being kept in idleness, but such a state of affairs is ruining their manhood when they are compelled to come to the board day after day begging for relief. This board is simply throwing money away at present. Many things might be done by the Government for the unemployed. " Appalling Position." Mr. Geo. Knight, chairman of the relief committee, t-aid the position was appalling. .It was most distressing to members to «ce Mich a tine body of men clamouring for relief all the morning. All were honestly seeking work. The only thing to do was for the Govern-, merit to take a short-cut ami institute "work which would be of a productive character. " Little Children Starving."

"The Prime Minister's letter is simply an endorsement of what has been happening during the last few years, thus placing the onus on the local bodies," said Mr. M. J. Savage, M.P. "It's a repetition of the old order and it's nothing short of a scandal that the vitality of the manhood of thies country is being sapped in such a way, when a remedy could be found if the Government would bestir itself. Unemployment is a national problem which should be dealt with oil a national basis.''

Instead of calling the M.P.'s together, Mr. Savage suggested that a public meeting should be held. '"Something must be done, and quickly," he said, "to relieve the people in this city who are on the verge of starvation. Little children arc starving. Surely something can lie done for them."

Mr. Savage said that there was no difference between this arid the former Government in the unemployment policy. The numbers of unemployed were not. only growing here, but all over New Zealand. Members of Parliament in Auckland were at their wits' end, and he did not think they could do more than they were doing at present. '1 lie Mayor should call a public meeting ami invite the Auckland members to 1/e present. Able Men The Problem. "It should be distinctly understood that this board is quite prepared to take the responsibility for men who cannot work. But the unemployment of men who are able to work is another matter, and one for which the liovernment •should bear the whole cotst," said the chairman. "As a matter of fact, as 1 have advocated repeatedly, the money should come out of the Consolidated Fund."

It. was finally decided to communicate apa in with tin* Government oil the subject, urging that something should be dune. A resolution was aNo passed calling on tile Mayor to convejio a pub.ic meeting and summon a conterenco of local IK»ily representatives and member* of Parliament to review the t-ituation mitl search for a remedy.