UNITED REQUEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 290, 8 December 1931, Page 12

UNITED REQUEST.

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. MR. COATES PROMISES EARLY REPLY EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. Twelve Auckland members of Parliament waited on the VAzln Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister in Charge of Unemployment, yesterday afternoon, with a joint request that extra money be found for the relief of unemployment to alleviate distress during the Christmas holidays. Mr. Coates wa : sympathetic, and promised to inform members this evening or to-morrow morning what

extra assistance would be granted. Ho admitted that the position was bad. and indicated that the Unemployment Board was considering schemes to absorb additional men in primary and secondary industries. Mr. M. J. Savage. M.P. for, .Auckland Wept, who headed the deputation, said it was the outcome of a meeting ui members of Parliament with the unemployed la?r Friday. The put-it ion was going from bad to worse, particularly because of the system of rationing. Men were forced to apply to the Hospital Board for rations during ths week they were riot employed, and those with lar.je families had to be provided for by the board all the time. Men were unable to pay their levies. and he thought the Minister would agree that they could not continue as at present. They could not see daylight ahead. Offer to Help Government.

Mr. savage said he was of opinion that money could be obtained in New Zealand to meet the position and he personally would only be too pleased to stuinp the country frean North Cape to ihe Bluif to get it if the Government decided to rake a loan internally. The problem had to be faced sooner or later. There were hundreds of people in the cities not getting the bare necessities of life. He was prepared to do anything asked of him to help relieve the situation. Members of the House desired to know what the Minister had in view, whether anything definite was proposed in the nature of permanent employment. The rationing of work was serious and people were being placed in a position making it impossible for them to live, and the extra strain was in consequence being placed on the hospital boards.

Mr. A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata. who emphasised that the need was urgent, made a special appeal for single men. Many had not had work for months and were on the verge of starvation. The proposal to cut down the allocations had come as a shock. Mr. A. S. Eiehards, M.P. for Eoskill, spoke of the lads between the ages of 18 and 20. They needed better food and attention than when fully matured. It was a serious problem far many widowed mothers. Mr. A. J. Siallwortiy, M.P. for Eden, thanked the Minister for the promise he ha-d made earlier in the day to help the City- Council and. Transport Board in their effort to relieve the position during the coming weeks. Mr. W. E. Parry, M.P. for Auckland Central, said the position was desperate. He made a plea, for the women, dozens of whom, he said, were unable to vote owing to the lack of proper clothes to go out into the streets. He suggested a, subsidy to hospital boards to give relief in rent in necessitous caees. The Government might aleo do something in the way of distributing beef and mutton to tie poor. If a £5,000,000 loan were raised in Xew Zealand for reproductive work, he would be prepared to assist in any way to organise the unemployed for work.

Mr. J. X. Massey M.P. for Franklin, said he felt sure the Minister was alive to the situation. "Worse in Country." Mr. F. Langstone M.P. for Waimarino, eaid the position was infinitely worse in the country than in the cities, owing to the absence of wealthy organisations and residents. Mr. W. J. Jordan M.P. for Manukau, referred vo the hardships experienced by the younger men, who were debarred from relief work on account of their fathers earning a little. What had the State to offer the boys who were leaving school by the hundreds 'I They were in a state of desperation. Mr. W. W. Massey, M.P. for Hauraki, said he had come across many cases of hardship and he would do anything to assist in the relief of distress. There should be the closest co-operation amongst all concerned. Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. for Grey Lynn, said if it were not possible to give men work they should receiYe sustenance. Messrs. H. G. B. Mason, M.P. for Auckland Suburbs, and Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. for Auckland East, also appealed for something to be done to assist the unemployed over Christmas.

"Best Brains Baffled." In reply Mr. Coates expressed appreciation at the offer of co-operation by the assembled members of Parliament. It was not only New Zealand that, was feeling the blast of the economic etonn. The best brains of the world had been baffled in seeking a solution. He did not suggest that because others had failed New Zealand would also fail. (Applause.) He would like to see party politics put| aside for the moment and members assembled around the table to consider the problem and blaze a.trail to solution. Mr. Jordan: Cannot we do that? Mr. Coates: I think we can. He went on to say that there were men and women in various parts of New Zealand who did not know where to turn for a meal. He could not follow the rationing scheme that had been introduced, but that extra assistance would bo given could be taken for granted. ' it! was necessary, however, to ascertain how far relief was justified, and the state of the Unemployment Board'- finances.l It was difficult to estimate The exact! revenue of the board. Actual receipts] had fallen short of the estimate:?. He doubted the solvency of the funds a< the present time. The' Aet was clear that the funds must nut 'he over-pent. He hoped the following day or on Wednesday to be able to indicate the maximum

amount of extra .reiki that -could be granted for the next few weeks. To give men two or three days' work a week j wa* anything but satisfactory. "It io| assistance." he added, "iuit one ean| hardly call it anything mo-re than that."] Statement Within Fortnight. Mr. Jordan: Some men are not getiingj a penny piece. " ! Mr. Coatee said that every week be-1 tu-c-on 1200 and 1300 men ilid not rereive assistance. Tlie board was endfflvoHring to do its be>t by carrying out I j"ir<>diictivc work, which, in the years to! •10, kviiuld -!ht« r-1111:■;• return. Figures

were being compiled showing how many men could be employed in primary in- j duetry a≤ well as in come of the j ; secondary industries and he hoped to be i able to'state within a fortnight how . many extra men could be absorbed. He was sure the local bodies and other employers were prepared to make evenj ! greater efforts to keep men on. "The problem of the youth _of the I Dominion is a serious one." t.aid _ Mr. j Coates. 'it is a long-time proposition. I Being out of work may cause a young i man to take a wrong turning for life. j A youth can quickly lapse into lazy I habit? and the problem, which is a \err ! real one, has to be tackled. It is a greater task than rinding work for the registered unemployed." In reply to a question Mr. Coates said the regulations provided that single men with dependants were to be treated the I same a? married men.