RATIONS AND MILK

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 114, 7 February 1935, Page 10

RATIONS AND MILK

Policy of Unemployment Board An undertaking, which it was stated had been given by the Minister of Finance, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, to an Auckland deputation of relief workers, concerning an improvement in unemployment relief, was the subject of a statement made to “The Dominion” last evening by Mr. D. McLauchlin, secretary of the National Union of Unemployed. Mr. McLauchlin said he had received a report from the president of the Union, Mr. F. E. Lark, following an interview representatives of the Auckland Provincial Council of. the Union had had with Mr. Coates. The report stated that when Mr. Coates was informed that the Unemployment Board had stopped the issue of rations and milk, last week, he promised to have the matter adjusted at once by arranging an increase in the allocation of relief.

“As precisely the same rates and conditions exist in the four main centres and as Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin families have suffered the same reductions it is to be presumed that Mr. Coates’s intervention will result in an increase on the present rates to families who have been deprived of milk rations, etc., under the new scheme,” said Mr. McLauchlin. MINISTER .REPLIES Board Reviewing Cases When tlie attention of the Minister of Finance was called to Mr. McLauchlin’s statement, Mr. Coates informed a representative of “The Dominion” that his reply to the Auckland deputation had .been reported correctly in the Auckland newspapers. These reports showed clearly that all he had promised was that the representations made to him would be placed before tlie Minister of Employment and the,Unemployment Board. This lie had done, and the board was reviewing necessitous cages. It may be added Hint according to tlie “Auckland Star” report of tlie deputation to the Minister of Finance. Mr. W. Slaughter, officer in charge of the Labour Department, informed the deputation that special consideration would be available for necessitous cases in the matter of ration allowances. Mr. Coates said it was clear that tlie reclassification would not be automatic for. a month, but would be initiated de novo as from last' Saturday. I