SUSTENANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 170, 20 July 1934, Page 8

SUSTENANCE.

| policy attacked. (bill to abolish board. ALLEGATIONS OF CRUELTY. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter) WELLIXGTOX, this day. j Initiating a Parliamentary attack on the Unemployment Board's sustenance payments to B class workers, Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon), Mayor of Christchurch, introduced in the House to-day a bill to abolish the linemployliient Board. "I am taking this step," declared Mr. Sullivan, "to prevent a repetition of the wanton and barbarous cruelty inflicted on several hundred Christchurch citizensby the Unemployment Board." Theec men, he explained, were employed by the Xorth Canterbury Hospital Board and other local bodies. They were deliberately taken off work and" put on sustenance" at half rates. The Christ-

church City Council had just had before it the case of a married man with five children who had been entitled to four days' work, giving him 37/0 weekly, but owing to the board's action his assistance had been reduced to 23/. the reduction being made because "a little wisp of a girl in his r.'nily" was apparently earning .5/ weekly. Kent absorbed 15/ weekly. The Hon. A. D. McLeod (Government, Wairarapa): What's the Charitable Aid Board doing? Mr. Sullivan hotly retorted that if the member took a proper interest in these things he should know that the Unemployment Board took full responsibility for the unemployed, and the hospital boards had no responsibility. Mr. J. A. Xash (Government, Palmerston Xorth): That's the pity. " Justice from Parliament." Mr. Sullivan concurred, adding that the local authorities were willing to employ them, but the Unemployment Board came along and would not permit, it. He said lie was not appealing to the Government; he was demanding justice from Parliament. "I am not going to pray to the devil or appeal to any Government." ho said. When reminded by Mr. Speaker that this appeared to be a reflection on the Mr. Sullivan explained that the phrase - was being used in a literary sense. (Laughter.) Mr. Sullivan said he wanted to see the Government use the power in the original Act and tell the Unemployment Board to pay the sustenance rate* provided for. which authorised the payment to a contributor of 21/ a week, to his wife 17/0 a week and to each child 4/ a week. Mr. A. .T. Stallworthy (Independent. Eden): What about the 13 weeks' limit? Mr. Sullivan: That requires alteration. The alternative Ts to provide work at standard rates of pay and standard conditions. Nothing worse than the recent action of the board had happened in the history of tho country, and of all the wicked) things the Government had done this was bv far the worst. »

Complete Overhaul Advised. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Independent, VVanganui) said that in his judgment new conditions had arisen since the present system of unemployment relief was put into practice, and he appealed to the Government and the House to have a. complete overhaul and reconstruction of the unemployment legislation. Tho Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, sajd people wcro not going to put up with tho present conditions for all time, and those who could not riso to the occasion would not bo tolerated. Where was the justification of one rate for tho Maori and another for the pakeha, one for the country and one for tho cities ? This was not going to be allowed to go much further, and there must be a change. Mr. McLeod suggested there was a tendency among Labour members to pick out special city cases, but he knew that sustenance. payments were as good as the payments made to all B class mon in tho country. It was very bard on many people to pay the high taxation involved, and no member had ventured to suggest a higher tax. There was a cry throughout New Zealand about taxation levied on people who were in work.