RELIEF ALLOCATIONS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 97, 18 January 1933, Page 10

RELIEF ALLOCATIONS

Mayor Protests Against Palmerston Treatment CHALLENGE TO BOARD Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, Jan. 17. When speaking at a public meeting last night the Mayor of Palmerston North, Mr. A. E. Mansford, issued a challenge to tlie Unemployment Board to prove statements that it had made to various deputations that Palmerston North had been treated better than any other city in the Dominion in the matter of relief pay allocations and other assistance. Mr. Mansford said lie had gathered information from the mayors of other cities regarding allocations and relief wages. In Auckland -single men received 13/6 a week, married men with one child £l/2/6, with two children £l/11/6, and with three children £1 16/-. In addition supplementary rations ranging up to 10/- a week were issued to large families. These were higher rates than in Palmerston North, where no supplementary rations were issued. In another city, said Mr. Mansford, four days’ work a week was being given, while in another city single men were being paid 18/- a week with a stand-down week. Mr. Mansford said he was annoyed at the inequality in the various centres of the number of days available to the unemployed and the hundred and one different schemes and conditions. "Surely it is not impossible to fix a schedule of days and rates of pay which will apply right throughout the Dominion. If this is done lam sure it will be more satisfactory to all concerned.” The following resolutions were carried at a public meeting in Palmerston North last night convened by the Palmerston North Home Protection League for the purpose of discussing the unemployment position:— “That this meeting calls upon the Government in the name of the men, women ami children of the Dominion to consider their welfare by making operative the tollowing requests: The immediate operation of the Sustenance Act of 1930 and that full sustenance be given where work is not provided ; that a. conference of landlords and unemployed be convened for the purpose of protecting the interest of both parties; that equal provision be made for both sexes according to their responsibilities; that where work is found, trade union rates of pay be provided ; the abolition of unemployment camps; and. that no national or overseas loan indebtedness be met until the men, women and children of the Dominion are provided with adequate economic security. “That the Minister of Employment be requested to make provision for the issue of rations on a system similar to that recently carried out by the Central Relief Committee. “That the meeting demands the release of all class-war prisoners in the Dominion. “That this meeting calls on the Government to bring about immediately the socialisation of industry and resign.” With the exception of the resolution regarding “class-war prisoners,” all the resolutions were carried unanimously.