HEATED ATTACKS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21400, 16 February 1935, Page 17

HEATED ATTACKS

■ __—* — - WORK AT SANDILANDS UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS' MEETING CRITICISM OF EXECUTIVE Strong and heated attacks on the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association, on Mr T. L. Drummond, one of its members, and on the reports appearing in the newspapers, were made at a meeting of the registered unemployed returned soldiers held in the Jellicoe Hall yesterday afternoonThe meeting was originally called to discuss the situation at the Sandilands Soldiers' Settlement and the recent standing down of the men on that work, but developed into a general ventilation of the grievances felt by the unemployed returned soldiers. At times there ' was uproar, at others two or three men were on their feet at once, attempting to speak. The chairman, the Rev. F. T. Read, president of the association, had a very difficult task in maintaining order. Speakers' allegations and claims for fairer treatment were followed by loud applause, and explanations not considered satisfactory met with equally vigorous condemnation. In one instance the chairman demanded the withdrawal of unparliamentary language, and in others had to repeat many times his request that a member take his seat. There was an attendance of approximately 150. Only one motion was carried. Moved by Mr J. Laurence, it read:—"This meeting of unemployed returned soldiers views the present scale of relief pay as insufficient to meet the cost of living, and calls on the Unemployment Board to increase the pay to relief workers and sustenance men to bring the standard up to a decent mark." There were no dissentients. 'Mr Read stated that the meeting was for registered unemployed returned Soldiers, and he took it for granted that only bona fide members were in the hall. The minutes of a similar meeting held on November 19 were read by the secretary of the association, Mr E. F. Willcox, and confirmed. A motion that no one should speak for more than 15 minutes was carried, the chairman then calling on those present to express their opinions. "Nigger Driving" "We are here to speak of the dispute over Sandilands and the way we have been treated by the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association," said the delegate from Sandilands, Mr J. Gray. "The secretary distinctly told us the association had nothing to do with the job. The City Council and the Town Clerk have said the same thing, except that supervision is exercised by their engineers. But there has been 'nigger driving,' due to the executive." A voice: What a scandal! "What authority has Mr Drummond to go down to the job, see what time the men stopped work, and report to the City Council?" continued Mr Gray. '.'The Sandilands job is no worse than any other unemployed job in Christchurch: no less work is being done there. It was not a disgrace that we went out to fight but it is a disgrace that we have been stood down. There are men who are hungry. If we were given the extra day's work from the executive we have applied for, we might listen to the executive." Mr C. Erickson (Bottle Lake delegate) said that no old soldier wanted idleness. If they were treated in a just way they would treat the executive justly. . It had taken the wrong way in showing up the foreman at Sandilands. and he, the speaker, stood by the foreman. Members of the asciation. instead of getting closer together, were being driven away. A second delegate from Bottle Lake said that the action in standing down the men at Sandilands was much resented, and the Bottle Lake men had decided to stand by those who had been put off work. A deputation had waited on the secretary of the association on Tuesday, and got some satisfaction, but not what they wanted, which was' a chairman and a secretary of their own, any motion carried to be placed before the executive. The speaker claimed that when men working on the channel at Sandilands for 9s a day had refused to continue, other men had been brought on at 16s 4d a day. Only 2s a day extra had _ been asked for, and it was a scandal for the executive to stand by and see this done. A member: Is this the first time men have been sacked from Sandilands? Mr Read: The only one to answer that is the head of the Labour Department. It has been said that the executive has done this and that, and that it has started "nigger driving." The men at Sandilands are employed by the Labour Department, not by the executive, which desires to make provision for those returned men A voice: Keep to the point. —"to provide homes for those men," continued Mr Read, who was again interrupted by a person's calling out: "Why not leave that to the Gov<jl i; ment?" The suggestion that the meeting could adjourn to the Trades Hall was followed by uproar, Mr Read making ' himself heard only after some delay. President's Explanation "I've got the floor and I'm speaking." he continued, "The position of the executive is that it started the scheme and was supported by the City Council, which granted the lease of 15 acres and lent its engineers. The Labour Department, through Mr Bailey, helped to this extent, that it promised to put returned soldiers on the job. Those men are employed by the department, and not by the executive, which has spent' no money on the work at Sandilands except some additional amount paid to the foreman. We have an employment officer doing his very best to provide that extra day's work," concluded Mr Read. "I want to ask Mr Drummond this question," said one member. "He stated that 33 families were prepared to go to Sandilands. The secretary tells us that three are willing. Who is telling the truth?" "When the meeting of citizens was held to discuss the cottage settlement," explained Mr Willcox, "the committee had more than 30 names of men eligible, the majority of whom were prepared to go. Since then some have died and others gone to different parts of the Dominion." Amid interjections Mr Willcox added that six or eight houses could be filled to-morrow by men, selected under the strictest supervision. In the view of another all the trouble was due to "crook press reporting," seme "damnable stuff" having been published about the position at Sandilands. Another asked what had happened to the B2 men put off from the Sandilands job. What protection did the executive give them, or what diet it do for them? Mr Read replied that when this happened the executive pleaded for another chance for them, and some were reinstated. But it was found that their presence brought down the level of work. It seemed possible that the whole present scheme of employment would be changed and superseded— A voice: By something worse. "The men have come to us for assistance," continued Mr Read, "and have received it. Is it fair for you to attack those who have done their best to assist you?" He was then asked

who was responsible for getting the B2 men put off—the executive, the City Council, or the Unemployment Board? Sandilands, a member, stated, was commenced more for the benefit of the B2 men than for any one else. The speaker repeated the charge that the* men, when they asked for ah increase of 2s, were sacked, and others employed at a much higher wage. The executive ' had turned them down. They were willing to carry the B2 men. The speaker demanded a refutation of the statement that Sandilands had cost £947 an acre to level. If the executive, as Mr Read had stated, had nothing to do with the job, why did it keep coming down to Sandilands and "pimping" on the men? Appointment of Foreman Mr R. B. Speirs, employment officer, answered statements attributed to him when asked if he could recommend a suitable man from the registered unemployed- returned soldiers as foreman. He was alleged to have said that no suitable man was available. The true facts, said Mr Speirs, were that he had been asked the question at 4.30 p.m., and had requested a postponement of a reply until mid-day of the next day, in order to examine the register for suitable men. A member: Who was responsible for the material in the newspapers? The one who had originally challenged the accuracy of the reports called out that they had been misreported. Mr Read: Two years ago a motion was passed to have executive meetings open to the press. They have their own reporters and do what they think fit. The following motion was then moved: "That the foreman sacked be reinstated, and those B2 men who are willing." It was ruled out of order by the chairman, on the ground that the executive had "not the power. It could not engage or dismiss any man under the No. 5 scheme. By this time three men were on their feet, and it was some time before order was restored. Mr Gray was heard to ask who was responsible for the statements on the position at Sandilands, using a certain term to describe his opinisn of the action. Mr T. L. Drummond (a member of the executive) took strong exception to Mr Gruy's remarks and asked that he withdraw the "filthy remark" made. Uproar and cries of "Sit down!" followed. The chairman repeatedly asked Mr Gray to withdraw, which he eventually did. Mr Grant then attempted to get the floor, but members in a body demanded that the chairman repeat his early ruling, that only registered unemployed were entitled to be present, and Mr Grant was not allowed to speak. A motion to adjourn. the meeting to the Trades Hall was lost on a show of hands. Questions Asked "I want the truth about these things," said a previous speaker. "Is the work entirely in the hands of the Unemployment Board and are the dismissals due to them? Did the information spread abroad about Sandilands come from the executive? Where has the publicity come from about .the job and its cost? It is time we had a definite understanding with the executive. What is it going to do to assist the B2 men, especially those who have come off Sandilands? It is only fair they should have some consideration. I appeal to Mr Drummond to state just where he stands." "At the first serious interjection I will sit down and nothing will induce me to speak," said Mr Drummond, who for some time secured a quiet 'hearing. "I am prepared to explain and stand by anything I have done. I made the first move about the Sandilands scheme, but I had no idea of a big body of men being employed and of work going on for more than two years. The executive must clear itself from the attacks on its honour. We will shortly have to appeal to the public for money for houses, and a large sum will be required. It is well known the standard of work at Sandilands has been brought down to the B class standard. Men from the Unemployment Board said only about 50 per cent, of the men were working when they visited the place. When I approached the board in Wellington I was met with a barrage of questions about what was termed the "scandalous" state of the work there. I have visited the place myself and never seen more than 50 per cent, of the men working. Not one of us thinks you are getting the money you need, and there is not one of us who would not treble it if we could. The executive does not approve of your situa- ■ tion, but it is not the Government of New Zealand." "A Thankless Job" Mr Drummond was asked what the executive had done about the men who had lost their pay, and he replied that the executive had no authority in the matter. A further debate ensued about Mr Drummond's visit to ! Sandilands and his report to the council that the men had ceased work early. . Mr A. W. Mewton (an executive member) claimed that the problem of unemployment was a national one, and that the executive was being blamed for what the board had done. The executive performed a thankless job; if they were not liked, members had their remedy at the next election of officers. "What is the cost a £ of the administration of the war funds?" was the next question to the chairman. Mr Read replied that he could not be expected to know the details of the numerous funds, but with the National War Fund and the Canteen Fund the overhead was very small. Another asked why the. letter from the Commissioner of Unemployment (Mr G. C. Godfrey) had been published so hastily, the speaker claiming that the executive's action in this was stupid. The reply that the executive wished to clear itself and that the public was aware of the position was followed by loud calls and general uproar. Mr Drummond. referring to a previous statement, said that no man in the room could prove that men had been taken on at Sandilands and paid 16s 4d a day. Mr Read: This is not a meeting of the association. The executive will present an account of its activities at the next general meeting. I do not know, if I shall be a candidate for office but I can say that my only desire has been the betterment of your condition. (Applause.) None of Jhe executive merited Mr~J. H Prisk's strictures, that they had been "shufRead ' S the line '" added Mr The motion as printed above was then carried. It was suggested that the profits SS, g 1° - the R£,ilway Department nf mln V e , xtensive employment triffii f - ellef rates should be di sUibuted to increase wages i from f w er mo } ioa : that "a" loans caned f/ Z ar JT ds wha tsoever be benefit «f tl *!* , We Can have the benefit of them before we are dead" was ruled out of ' <h?*f ° f , the final 'Questions was why fad <%* s P? edi »* UP" at SandilX had occurred. "Public opinion of SKM'" began Mr DunSSon? who was then, amid general uproar counted out twice. Several members still attempted to speak, but the chair! man shortly afterwards declared the meeting closed. °