"IF THE CAP FITS-"

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 14

"IF THE CAP FITS-"

MINISTERIAL REBUKE. DEPUTATION OF UNEMPLOYED. 'Are you a worker?" asked the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. Mr McLeod) of a member of a deputation of unemployed men which waited on him yesterday afternoon to ask for assistance in the direction of relieving their position. "Look at me,"' said the man addressed, Mr S. H. Founder, well-known lor his Communistic utterances, lilting up ins arms and showing the palms ol his hands. "Isn't all the evidence in lavour of it:'" "All the evidence is against it." answered the Minister, who suggested that Mr Founder had been talking enough. Mr Foamier looked uncoiulortable. "Oh, well, you have the power." he said. ""Do you allege that I am not a worker?" 'Yes," answered the Minister, bluntly. "l>id you install yourself as chief speaker?" "Xo,'' was the response, "f was appointed to speak to you by the workers." ".How many of them?" pressed the Minister. . "Thirty or forty ol them." said Mr Fournier. , Tho Minister said that sometimes the least worthy spoke on such occasions. He was not satisfied that Mr Founder represented the unemployed. "Then I am a liar?" asked Mr Fournier. . "If the cap fits you can certainly wear it." said the Minister dryly. Mr Fournier claimed that he represented the genuine workers, hut the Minister did not nppear to be convinced that such was the case.

"Do von say 1 nm not n genuine worker?" nsked Mr Fournicr, tho Minister answering in the uffirmntive, and stating that it was a waste of time listening to Mr Founiier, who at length sat down, another unemployed man taking his place. This man said that he had been out of work for at least six months out of the twelve and was unable to get anything to do at the present time. The Minister: Through no fault of vour own? "Not to my knowledge. The speaker drew attention to the case of another man present, who, ho said, had to keep a blind father receiving a pension of 10s a week, two voting brothers, and a sister. He was a New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve man. who had served for seven years. He was 24 vears of age and was unable to -ret anything to do. The speaker asked the Minister to use his influence with his colleagues in Cabinet with a view to granting the Hospital Boards a subsidy so that they could B'™ a ereater measure of assistance in the issue of rations. Ho also requested him to do his best to secure permission for an art union to be ronductcd tor unemployment relief. To the latter request Mr McLeod stated tliot he was against art un'° nß that were run in such a monner that only about 20 per cent, of tho money raised from them went to the people who should receive it. There had been too many of these in the past in New iWa's suggested that the Christchurch Unemployment Committee might be induced to conduct such an art union. . . , . . The Minister promised to look into the matters put before him.