SUSTENANCE WANTED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 110, 3 February 1931, Page 11

SUSTENANCE WANTED

Men Demand Forms DEMONSTRATION HELD Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, February 2. About two hundred unemployed men, headed by Mr. S. Fournier, made a demonstration at the Chief Post Office this morning and demanded that they be issued with application forms for sustenance grants. The men were informed that there were no forms available, and that the officials could do nothing for them at present. Subsequently a meeting was held at the Trades Hall, and it was decided to march to the Post Office again to-morrow morning and to make a request for further Information. Mr. Fournier explained the position to the men, stating that a promise had been given that applications for sustenance would be received at the beginning of February. As the reply received this morning was, in his opinion, entirely unsatisfactory, he wished to move that the men assemble to-morrow morning and proceed again to the Post Office to receive an answer as to why application forms for sustenance allowances were not available. During the discussion Mr. E. Hamilton asserted that the demonstration .had been a failure. His -idea of a demonstration was for every man to go into the Post Office individually and ask for a sustenance form. A voice: We held up the business at the Post Office for about half an hour. ' Mr. Fournier’s motion was carried.

RECENT STATEMENTS Prime Minister Reproached By Telegraph—Press Association. New Plymouth, February 2. The Taranaki District Council of the Alliance of Labour carried the following resolution: —• That owing to the failure of th# Unemployment Board to find work for large numbers of unemployed in Taranaki, and in view of the expected Increase in the number of unemployed through various dairy companies changing over from cheese to* butter, thus displacing a large number of dairy workers and helping to Increase further the number of unemployed and to accentuate the suffering of the unemployed who appear to have little or no chance of receiving work from . the Unemployment .Board, this council views with alarm thd recent statements made by the Prime Minister that sustenance would not be granted, and considers Mr. Forbes is deliberately flouting the Unemployment Act. We therefore urge that either work be found for all unemployed or that sustenance be granted Immediately. The Government is morally bound by the terms of the Unemployment Act to grant this request, and any delay in granting sustenance Will be considered by this council to be a deliberate evasion of the terms of the Unemployment Act.

LARGE FLAXMILL OPENS

Work for Foxton Men

Dominion Special Service.

Palmerston Nortli, February 2.

An announcement to the effect that a large flaxmilling company, the Whitanui flaxmill, had commenced operations today. was made at a meeting of the Palmerston North unemployment committee to-day by Mr. J. A- Nash, M.P. It was reported that recently unfounded rumours of flaxmills reopening have been in circulation in the district. _ The Whitanui mill is one of the largest in the Foxton district, and its opening will provide work for a large body of men.