“ SOCIAL SECURITY MISUSED ”

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24483, 5 February 1945, Page 8

“ SOCIAL SECURITY MISUSED ”

— CRITICISM OP SOME MAORIS “The Press” Special Service NEW PLYMOUTH, February 2. Declaring that many Maoris preferred to receive State benefits rather than earn money, the secretary of the South Taranaki executive of the New Zealand Farmers’, Union, Mr E. K. Cameron, said at a meeting recently that the practice of some Maoris of not admitting on paper that they did casual work for farmers, had become a “racket” throughout New Zealand since the introduction of social security. The opinion was expressed by members that little could be done by fai’mers to stop the practice. Maori casual workers,. Mr Cameron said, knew that if the Social Security Department discovered in its returns that a person was deriving income from casual or any other work, benefits would be stopped. Many Maori workers preferred the benefits to the earned money, but they helped in harvesting as a favour and to earn more. With the labour shortage, farmers were powerless to refuse any demand for, wages made by workers, and should the earnings be reported to the department the farmer who did so was blacklisted by other Maoris earning money in a similar fashion. They could be refused work by farmers, but it would not affect them as they could do without the extra money. The president, Mr W. A. Sheat. M.P., said nothing could be done about it.' Mr Cameron remarked that ' the newspapers could publish the facts if they liked, but it would mean that they might be blacklisted too.