UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 74, 1 April 1929, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT

" GREATER THAN EVER "

RELIEF RATE QUESTION

LABOUE'S VIEWS

The United Party promised to

abolish unemployment.

They have

been in charge of the Government for three months, and tho unemployment figures and resultant dis-

tress arc greater than ever

In this paragraph appearing in the report submitted to the Labour Party Conference to-day, the National Executive sums up the present position of the unemployment problem so far as Government relief is concerned. The number of unemployed in Wellington, says the report, lias not in any way shown any apparent decline. Men able, willing, and. desirous to work clamour daily at the Trades Hall for an opportunity, and with a view to immediately relieving some of the existing distress, a deputation recently -waited on the Wellington City Council, urging them to accept the subsidy offers by the Government, and immediately undertake work to absorb the unemployed and to relievo the distress prevailing. The council approached the Government with proposals for work to relieve the unemployed, and the Government offered a subsidy on condition that the work was undertaken at contract rates so fixed that the amount earned should not exceed fourteen shillings per • day. This completely altered the system set out in Sir Joseph Ward's policy speech, which provided for a mininfum wage of 14s per day; the Government proposals to the Wellington City Council provided for no minimum, but it maximum of 14s per day. "WHERE REFORM NOW LIES." "If the Government desires to pay reasonable rates to those members of the community who, through no fault of their own, are unemployed," states the report, "they will receive every support and assistance from the Labour Movement, in and out of Parliament, industrially and politically; but if they continue the old policy and use new words to cover up its vicious nature, then every worker, whether in rural or city occupation, and every citizen who desires justice- to be done, will riso and place them where the Reform Party now lies for instituting policies of this nature. "The evidence on Government rates, of pay supplied by the New Zealand Workers' Union is that the contract rates fixed on public works are so low that it is not possible to earn more than 10s per day, and the wages earned are such that many men on completion of jobs are destitute. The Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom), replying to these charges and protests from other sources, said that discontent is not general, and supports this statement by saying that he has continued applications from men out of work who are desirous of obtaining employment under the Public Works Department, and that there is. an immediate outcry from those engaged if for any reason the works are stopped. IN A POSITION TO SAVE? "Referring to married men, the Minister then asks: 'Why should men, bo destitute who have only just been discharged from works on which the average rate is 14s per day? This rate was fixed so that no man who had been for any extended period on public works should have to be discharged in a condition of destitution, and it was understood that they would be able to save sufficient during their period of employment'to enable them to seek work elsewhere and avoid this condition of destitution.' "If the mind of tho Government is revealed through the mouth of a Minis; ter who considers that a married man ought to save out of his wages of 14s per day—if the voice of Mr. Kansom is the voice of tho Government—it shows how little they understand the hardships of tho average workers' home, and they will in 1 turn ultimately follow the road of all Governments whose members have no knowledge of the'distress occasioned in homes where the income is not sufficient to enable the mother to purchase the food, clothing, and other essentials for her children, husband, and herself." "USEFUL WORK FOR ALL."

Tho word-unemployment, the report continues, should have no significance in a country with such sources of natural wealth as New Zealand, but if through the faults of the system there were unemployed, then tho responsibility of finding all the essentials for those so displaced should be on the community. The policy of the Labour Party was clear and specific—employment should be so organised as to find useful work for all thoso able and willing to' do it; this employment should be paid for at rates sufficient to enable the mother to provide all the essentials for the home. If the faults of the existing system were such that intermittent unemployment was inevitable, then an insurance fund should be established at once, out of which the payments necessary to produce homes and give children and mothers a chance should be made. Hardships and distress should not be the natural followers of improved methods as they are to-day.