COUNCILLORS' VIEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 227, 25 September 1930, Page 14

COUNCILLORS' VIEWS.

AMENDMENT TO SHELVE BILL. DENOUNCED AS "INHUMAN." (By Telegraph.—l>ress Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. When the debate on the Unemployment Bill was resumed in the Legislative Council to-day the Hon. M. Fagan intimated that he would oppose the Hon. W. Earnshaw's amendment that the bill should bo read after the expiry of isix months. It would be a mistake, said Mr. Fagan, to postpone the operation of the bill when there was so much distress in the country. He paid a tribute to the Government for what it had done to relieve the position, but stated that at the end of two years they found themselves in a worse position. That was due to the depression through which they were passing and he was sorry to have to eay it was his opinion that they had not yet reached the climax. The eooner they got a systematised method of registration the better, for until that was brought about they would not know what the actual position was. Two things were absolutely vital if they were going to tackle the problem as.it should be tackled. One was the encouragement of secondary industries and the other was the placing of more •people on the land. He described Mr. Earnshaw's amendment as "cold blooded and inhuman," and said it was degrading to ask the Council to vote upon it. " Man's Duty to Find Work." The Hon. J. B. Gow expressed the hope that Mr. Fagan would not class him as an "inhuman monster" if he voted for the amendment. There were possibilities of mischief in the bill that would justify them in refusing to deal with the measure hastily. It had to be remembered that capital and labour in New Zealand were to a large extent in a etrait jacket owing to restrictions imposed by the Arbitration Court, which failed to recognise that wages must ultimately depend on production. The Court falsely based its decisions on the belief that it was necessary to maintain a certain standard of living. Mr. Gow said it was surely the right and duty of every man to find a job for himself, and it would be fatal for the State to say that when a man was out of work he was entitled to receive a job at standard wages. The Government had made a serious mistake by paying etandard rates on relief works. They were expected to swallow the whole bill whether they liked it or not. Mr. Gow criticised the personnel of the board, which, he said, was largely political. He objected to the setting up of another State Department. The Hon. A. S. Malcolm said it was true that the introduction of machinery had dislocated labour, but surely it could not be suggested that they should do away with it. If the Council threw the bill out it would be impossible for the Government to introduce another measure this session. He did not agree that the bill would create a dole system, as the system was already established per medium of the charitable aid boards. As a fair-minded man, he realised that he could not oppose the bill. He recognised that the dole was likely to prove demoralising in effect, but he did not think there were many who would prefer it to doing an honest day's work. If the local bodies now carrying the burden of unemployment were not afforded relief, many of them would be bankrupt at the end of twelve months. He agreed that the composition of the board might be improved. " A Poll Tax Bill." The Hon. G. J. Garland said that one of the most sensible suggestions made waa that people unemployed should receive food and clothing, instead of money. He realised it was little use debating the matter at any length, as the Council had made up its mind that the bill would' go through. If it were possible, he would move to amend the bill when in Committee. If the bill went on the Statute Book it would never come off again. The bill was not an unemployment bill, but a poll tax bill. The Hon. G. Witty said he did not like the bill, but as it was the best proposition in sight he would vote against the amendment. It was the unemployable who were causing all the trouble in New Zealand. He was strongly opposed to the Arbitration Court, which was going too far altogether. One of the biggest mistakes which had been made, was to give 14/ a day on relief works. Sir Frederic Lang eaid he disagreed with so much in the bill that he was forced to vote against it. He was opposed to youths of 20 being required to pay the levy, as it amounted to taxation without representation. He objected to the element of political control introduced into the board and said the Minister should not be a member. The debate was adjourned until tomorrow.