UNEMPLOYMENT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20551, 20 May 1932, Page 17

UNEMPLOYMENT.

♦ ' WELLINGTON COMMITTEE RESIGNS. STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN. IPHESS 4SSOCUTXOM TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, May 19. At a hurriedly-called meeting of the Wellington Citizens' Unemployment Relief Committee to-day, the chairman (Mr J. I. Goldsmith) tendered his resignation. The grounds for his action are contained in a lengthy statement in which Mr Goldsmith says:— '•The committee has never received from the Unemployment Board or the Minister a statement setting out specifically the nature of the committee's powers or duties, the scopo of its functions or the extent of its jurisdiction The coinmitteo cannot expect to function properly unless it is given the right to assume responsibility tor all the activities connected with unemployment in Wellington." Among the particular causes of complaint, Mr Goldsmith dwells upon the matter of applications for exemption from going to unemployment camps. Thu whole matter was removed horn tho committee's province and the committee had been completely impotent; within tho past fortnight. Mr Goldsmith says that tho Unemployment Board directed tho eortiiying officer to change tho classification of.each registered unemployed man in accordance with the revised scheme, but no communication on this most important and vital subject was sent to the committee, and they only learnt of the change after the work had boon done. He was positive that if the coinmitteo had been given an opportunity to consider the proposed change it would have been possible for tho committee to make "representations to the Government with the object of securing a postponement of reclassification until such time as Mr Coates was ready to bring into effect his sustenance proposals. If this had been done, it was not stating the position too extravagantly to sa- that the wholo of t.io present unfortunate trouble would have been avoided, and the reputation of Wellington would not have been w> sadlv injured. . . "There is nothing to be gained hy carrving on tho work of this committee/as it is obvious that our sphera of Usefulness is ended,'' he said. } propose, therefore, to resign my position as chairman and member ol t»e Wellington' Citizens' Unemployment Relief Committee, leaving to each ot you to say whether ho will do likewise In "my opinion tho committee should call a ' general meeting »»<' place their resignations m the nanus of Iho Mayor." , Following Mr Goldsmith's lead all the other 'members of the committee resigned •* ~, . j.« Mr Forbes paid a warm tribute to the work performed by Mr Goldsmith and the members of the Wellington Citizens' Unemployment Committee. Mr Goldsmith particularly had carried a very heavy burden, and h,ad shown great capacity in handling the work. IIJ realised that Mr Goldsmith could not be oxpected to carry on indefinitely, but hoped he would still bo able to take a live interest in welfaro work. POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH DISBANDMENT NOT- FAVOURED. The action of tho Wellington Unemployment Committee docs not como as a surprise to the, majority of the members of tho Christchurch Unemployment Committoo which, on May 2nd, discussed, and rejected, a motion proposing that it should disband. It .was more or less common knowledge at the time that the Board would not havo been greatly distressed if the motidfc had been agreed to. It is now rumoured that the Bpard is not overanxious that any of tho Unemployment Committees should continue to function. Chairman's Vieyrs. Cr, E. H. Andrews, the chairman of the Christchurch Unemployment Committee, when the telegram from Wellington was brought under his notico, referred to the fate of the motion to disband, which had been before tho Christchurch Committee, and said that the committee was' not kept very closely possesß very much power. Nor was it kept informed of the Board's proposals. The committee was not desirous of framing tho Board's policy; all that it wanted was to be kept closely in touch with the Board's proposals and to assist with its knowledge of local conditions. When the motion to disband was under discussion by the committee, the opinion generally expressed was that it was possible for tho committee still to do useful work, and it decided to carry on. The causes of complaint in Wellington—applications for exemptions from going to unemployment camps, and the reclassification of registered unemployed —Cr.. Andrews said had not arisen in Christchurch, both being considered matters more within tho scope of the officer in charge of the Laoour Department in Christahnrch, Mr B. T. Bailey. In one or two cases regarding application for exemption from going to unemployment camps, the committee had been given the reasons (in committee) why they bad not been granted. Cr. Andrews 's personal opinion was that the Christchurch committee might be rather large when the amount of work to be done was considered. Correspondence With the Board. The misunderstanding between the Board and the Christchurch Unemployment Committee arose from a letter the committee addressed to the Board .in relation to the conditions pf employment and rates of pay in the Waimakariri Biver Trust's camps. The Board's reply (which was before the committee on April 11th) made it plain "that it has never been the practice for the Board to consult with the local Unemployment Committees on matters of policy in respect of unemployment relief. "In connexion with the agitation which recently arose over the Waimakariri Biver Trust camp scheme of work, the Bq&rd is of opinion that the attitude taken up by the local committee, or at least some of its members, as revealed by newspaper reports, was not helpful and shows a lack of understanding of the difficulties with which the Board is confronted. This attitude has, doubtless, encouraged the agita* tion and accentuated the difficulties. Apart from this, the position of the men concerned has definitely been made worse in that under the arrangement made between the Trust and the Board the men would have-received a greater measure of relief than they will under the amended scheme, and the relief would have been constant, over a period of six months, whereas under the present arrangement the relief will be intermittent." . , . ■ The tone .of this letter, the chairman of the committee (Cr, E, 11. Andrews) said he resented; and the letter was .very freely criticised by member's of. tho committee. • The committee's reply was (m i>artj: "Your letter was read at the meeting pf the Christchurch Unemployment Committee last Monday? when the committee unanimously expressed regrot at the tone of the letter forwarded from the Board. The committee has always

endeavoured to help- the Board in every way possible. It fully realises the difficulties with which the Board is confronted, but at the same time it cani not shut its eyes to the fact that the j individual members of the unemployed ! are also confronted with extreme difficulties, and it is anxious to do all it possibly can to avoid friction, which it feels must follow if men arc expected to work under the conditions proposed Apart from that, the committee was of opinion that the 40-hour week would kill all incentive to men to look tor work outside the unemployment tund, indeed would not give them any opportunity to do so, "The committee has never asked to formulate the Board's policy, neither did it expect to do so, but it has asked to be taken into the confidence of the •Board in regard to its proposals so that with its local knowledge it can express its opinions, not necessarily publiclv and it believes it ean be helpful. The previous Board did so and on several occasions expressed its appreciation of the Uiristchurch Committee's work and suggestions. The committee consists manily of representatives of the local bodies that are providing the work under the No. 5 Scheme, and the members are giving up much of their time voluntarily It does feel, therefore, that the Board might treat it with a little more cordiality, and take it into its confidence in regard to its policy, instead of allowing it first to find out from outside sources and newspaper reports. It is trusted that the Board, instead of roscntingr any criticism by local committees, will appreciate criticism which was give;' with the intention of doing the best possible for all concerned in these difficult times." LIMITED POWERS. ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL COMMITTEE. Although the Chrislchurcli Unemployment Committee was established under exceptional circumstances, this and the other executives operating throughout New Zealand have been regarded by the Unemployment Board as its permanent local committees. They have had little more than advisory powers. * Before tho Unemployment Board was ever constituted the then Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) called a public meeting in Christchiirch of those citizens who were willing to assist in alleviating the distress caused by unemployment. The meeting was largely attended, and a representative committee was at once set up. Tliis committee sought to raise funds in several ways, notably by applying to different firms to subsidise tho subscriptions of their employees. The money thus raised was used in the distribution of practical relief. Committees Permanent. Some time after the first Unemployment Board was formed, it decided to appoint local committees for the different districts. Tho Christ-church executive wrote to the Board explaining its constitution, and the Board then requested it to continue its work as the official Christchurch Unemployment Committee. As such it had been recognised as a permanent committee. Most of tho other local committees were set up at tho instigation of the Board itself when it circularised all districts, asking each to appoint an unemployment executive. All these committeoa were regarded as permanent.

limited Powers. A member of tho Chrietchurch Committeo said last night that tho committee had really no more than advisory powers. Very few of the committee'» recommendations were acted upon, and the local officer of the Labour Department had always an overriding authority. ' The committeo had its value, however, as tho common meeting ground of representatives of tho different local bodies providing relief, and could deal with local matters to a certain limited extent. A SETTLEMENT SCHEME. (press association telegram.) WELLINGTON, May 19. A scheme to place 3000 men on the lsjnd- as a moans of overcoming the unemployment problem was to-day placed before Die Minister for Employment (the lit. Hon. J. G. Coates), t»w Hon. E. A. Ransom, and tho Hon. CE. Macmillan, by Mr W. Sullivan, Mayor of Whakatane, and Messrs I*. B. Baird and A. C. Sutherland, rer>resenting the committee of residents in the Whakatane district who formulated it, The basis of the scheme is an internal loan of £0,100.000, and the proposed settlement is of a-permanent character. Crown land, suitable for a dairying scheme, is to. be open to anyone who, in the opinion of the committee appointed to control the scheme, would become a suitable settler and who is not possessed of sufficient land to mal»e a living. The Ministers agreed that the scheme was worthy of consideration. SMALL FARM PLAN. ELEVEN FAMILIES SETTLED. (press association telegram.) DAKGAVILLE, May 19. The small farm scheme is being well received fill over the district. Already eleven married couples with children are comfortably settled at Ararua, on an area of land near Mr Coates's own lidmestead. Meetings throughout the county have been addresed by an officer of the Department of Agriculture, and a committee of farmers has been formed to deal with the offers of land already made, and the applicants. The Departmental officer says that from the number of enquiries made there would be no difficulty in settling 50 families in a month if houses and land were available. A considerable area of land close to the settlements of the district is suitable for the scheme, which has every appearance of being wholly successful.

The Dominion Executive of the Farmers' Union, which met at Wellington on Wednesday, carried the v following remit in connexion with the Government small farm plan for the absorption of married unemployed workers; We welcome the move the Minister for Unemployment is making, and we offer our co-operation in an endeavour to make the scheme successful. We would, suggest that before going ahead the Unemployment Board should refer the matter to the various provincial executives of the Tanners' Union. In the meantime we emphasise the. faet that any land chosen should be firstclass land capable of carrying at least six eows. NEW BRIGHTON REJLIEF DEPOT. To avoid the necessity or unemployed men in New Brighton appealing to the Citv depots for relief, the New Brighton Relief Committee has opened the local depot earlier than was previously

arranged, with the supplies available. Nine sheep from the Government aresupplied each week, which are carted free of charge by Mr E. Smith, and cut up by Messrs Hill and Harris. Messrs Dixon Bros, have supplied some 20 joints of meat weekly for. the five months past. The orders for meat, which have been dealt with by the officers of the Salvation Army ,jwill in future be issued from the depot on Saturdays. The Women's Committee has made up new material-into children's clothing,. for which a nominal charge will be made. The women will be et the depot each Tuesday from 2 till 4 p.m. A large supply of vegetables obtained mostly from farmers in the Marshland and Burwood districts, was disposed of.