RELIEF WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1922, Page 10

RELIEF WORKS

LOCSL BODIES' POWERS

In the original Arbitration Amendment Bill there was a clause removing all municipal undertakings from the provisions of the Act. The Labour Bills Committee substituted for this a clause excluding from, awards and agreements relief works carried out by any local j authority or public body pursuant to a special resolution. Even this modified clause was strongly opposed by Labour members. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) said that unfortunately it appeared that it would be necessary to make provision for unemployment in tho winter. This clause was proposed so ■that the relief might be spread over the country, and so that it might be to some extent under the control of. the local authorities who could assist the Government. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) said this would.enable local bodies to carry out necessary works as relief works at a reduced rate of wages. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) said Mr. Sullivan, who was a member of a city council, must have a poor opinion of his fellows if he .thought they would use this clause to depress wages. Councils which were elected every two years were not likely to do that. He did appeal to members not to tie the local bodies up too much in this matter. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland) considered that this was intended to enable the j Government to shirk its responsibilities ] in the relief of -unemployment. Mr. W. A. Veitch' (Wanganui) considered the clause would have little effect, as the local bodies, with restricted finance, would be unable to carry out special works. He thought it undesirable, however, that there should be such a clause as this in the permanent statute i law. There should at least be a proviso that the work should be approyed as relief works by a Labour Department inspector. The Minister said'he was quite willing to have the matter further considered. No one desired less than he did to see such. a provision in the permanent law, but they must remember that local bodies were subject to public opinion and election. This was not an attempt to relieve the Government of its duty, but to widen.the effort, i Mr. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton) said the franchise was limited for.the election of many local bodies. Some had asked for exemption, from arbitration awards; and if they now chose to. use this powej to declare necessary works relief works, they would be able to plead the example of the Government. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) considered the clause a miserable subterfuge, The only way to deal with unemployment was to organise the labour market as the Labour Party proposed. The clause was passed by 45 votes to 13.