ANOTHER MILLION

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 199, 20 May 1931, Page 11

ANOTHER MILLION

Unemployment Relief

M.P.’S BELIEF

Hard Winter Ahead

Dominion Special Service.

Palmerston North, Slay 19.

Stating that 50,000 men would be workless in the middle of winter, Mr. J.' A. Nash, M.P., at a meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board to-day, said he thought the Government would have to raise another million to meet the position.

Mr. Nash contended that the board would have to take a definite stand in the matter, for the position in regard to relief work was extremely serious. Under the new rules governing the Unemployment Board’s No. 5 scheme single men could get two days’ relief work a week, but for only three weeks out of four. This meant that they were getting only 13/6 a week and were therefore unable to pay their way.

“Forcible Representations.”

Mr. Nash added that the position was bad enough now, but by the middle of winter there would be 50,000 men out of work in New Zealand. “It looks as if the Government will have to raise another £1,000,000. The work cannot last, and hospital and charitable aid boards must be prepared to meet the calls which are going to be made on them.” He moved: “That forcible representations be made to the Minister of Health for increased contributions for charitable aid.”

Supporting Mr. Nash’s motion, the mayor, Mr. A. E. Mansford, said there were many people in dire distress, and, no matter what resolutions the meeting passed elsewhere, it must, from a humanitarian point of view, give what assistance it could to necessitous cases. Mr. J. Boyce: “We all know that there is much distress in the country, but it is not fair to put the responsibility of relief on to the hospital and charitable aid boards. It is a national question, and I am strongly in favour of taking the necessary action to get increased subsidies from the Government. If the unemployment levy is not sufficient to meet the requirements, it should be increased.”

The chairman (Mr. J. K. Hornblow) said: “We have cut our estimates as fine as possible, but I do not think we will be able to keep within them.”

Remit to Association.

It was suggested that Mr. Nash’s motion should go forward as a remit to the Hospital Boards’ Association. Mr. Nash agreed to this, and the motion was seconded by Mr. Smith. Mr. Nash said a number of the present avenues of employment, such as drainage works, would be closed with the advent of winter, and that demands for charitable aid would be greater than were anticipated by the board. ■ Mr Nash’s motion was carried, and the chairman and Mr. Mansford were appointed delegates to attend the Hospital Boards’ Association conference.