NO CO-OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 48, 25 August 1930, Page 11

NO CO-OPERATION

UNEMPLOYMENT BILL

ALLIANCE OPPOSITION

NO PARTY TO TEDCE

Opposition lo the provisions of the Unemployment Bill as it has been relumed lo the House of Representatives was expressed by a deputation from the Alliance of Labour which wailed on th« Prime Minister this afternoon. The chief spokesman adopted a somewhat threatening attitude, declaring that if the Bill was passed the Alliance tvould be compelled to ask its members not to assist in carryIng it out. He also said that the Alliance would not be a party to any political truce while important labour legislation was held up and unemployment was increasing.

The general secretary of tho New J Zealand Workers' Union (Mr. A. ] Cook) said that one of the main questions the deputation would like some information upon was as to -what provision was toeing made toy the Government to provide for the large army of unemployed in New Zealand ab the jirosent time. This question was giving the industrial organisations great concern. The numbers seemed to be growijig every day. "We consider that the Government is a dismal failure for not making provision for these men who are crowding into the cities every day to swell the ranks of the unemployed," paid Mr. Cook, after he had referred to dismissals from the public works at Taw a Plat find oilier such undertakings. "''Forty men were dismissed in the ■Wairarapa the other day and thoy have lieen beseiging my office in an effort jto secure work. We think it. is your . 'duty to make some clear-cut statement ; '&& to making provision for these people. piey have dependents to keep and_ are ill the verge of starvation. "We consider st, is the duty of the State to provide lor these workers. I venture to say that if a war broke out to-morrow miltions could toe found to send men overSeas, yet VfC cannot find a few hundred *iiousand pounds to provide work for men. on the verge of starvation, we Jtope that on the verge of your departure you trill make some provision for these men." WEMPZ.OYMENT BILL OPPOSED. After mentioning that the Uncmploy- ; ■ment Bill had been reported toaek m . practically the some form as it went to the Labour Bills Committee, JMr. : Took declared that the industrial or- : oanisations would never stand for it bsooming law. ' "It will only be putting a further burden on the poor worker," Mr. Cook proceeded. "The _ government proposes to tax the worker ; doing a day's work this week and perhaps another next, and call upon him ■ to pay a flat tax while the man with ( Hie big income and his thousands pays , iust the same. Then the proposed susienance allowance is not nearly big enough. We trust you will never agree 1v» this Bill becoming law unless it is | radically altered in conformity with some of the recommendations placed before the Labour Bills Committee. The workers don't want to escape their fair j shore, but -when the lower-paid worker U asked to pay the same tax as the man who receives an income, possibly or £5000 or even £10,000, wo tlunk •n-e are quite justified in objecting as v.-c are. Even i* tlic Biu becomes law we will oppose it in every possible way. We will be compelled to ask our members not to assist in carrying it out." ' Mr. Cook said it was generally assumed that a truce existed between the political parties. "I want to say,' he said, "that if there is a truce the industrial organisations are not a party 1o it while important labour legislation is held up and the army of unemployed is growing." MR. PORBES'S DEPARTURE. Mr. L. Glover said it was rumoured that, there was a compact existing between the three political parties. The Alliance wan not a party to any com■pact; they had not been consulted in the matter, and they did not agree to ■if. "We enter the strongest possible protest,'' he said, "against the Prime Minister leaving New Zealand at a lime when there is so much discontent, stagnation, and unemployment. At periods like this it is absolutely ossciitial that, the elected representatives of the people and those who have authority should remain in the country in order to assist in solving these problems " Although there had been a great deal of talk, little had been done to relieve the unemployed. The most objectionable features, of the 'Unemployment Bill still reamed. Thousands oi workers could not afford to pay the 30s levy. "And you propose to make criminals of them unless they do," he added. He also took exception to' the constitution of the Unemployment Board, as the workers were to fcnve only two representatives on a board of eight. Obviously the cards -wero stacked against the toilers, and they did not anticipate a fair spin from a board so constituted. The Bill also gave power for breaking down union conditions by giving the board power to make conditions under which the workers would bo employed. He also entered a protest against no special provision being made for waterside workers. It was proposed to extract 5,9000 per annum from them, and under the terms of the Bill they would :not bave the opportunity to benefit by <yie penny piece. Discussing the Workers' Compensation Act, Mr. Glover declared that it was being unfairly adThe insurance companies were taking advantage of the poverty o.f members of the Alliance to deprive them of just compensation, and they jiskod the Government to bring down legislation giving injured workers the right to draw compensation until some-prpperly-coDstituf.ed authority decided o tli or wise. "NOT A FAIR THING." The president of the yeamen'a Union (Mr. 1\ P. Walsh) said that boeause of the present position they felt fully justified in taking up the Prime ".Minister's time on the evo of his departure. The published figures showed there wero 0000 men in the five centres looking for work. That number was for tho centres only and did not include women. '.Many of the people unemployed we.ie hungry. "Ah you leave New Zealand' tu-moiTow " slid Mi WiKh In 11k Imm Mini tor "there are hundreds of men nnd women starving, and we say that it is not ft fair thing to do.' ' Reference to the chartering of vessels manned by foreign labour was referred to by Mr. Walsh. ".Last week," he said, "you. chartered a vessel to bring in hardwood sleepers. It was a DaJiish vessel employing Banish sea men, pTyjng hdlf Hk \\ !„< pnil \o Xpw /pal in liim n nl \ml ms, much longer hours. Yon employ ym <=ek work.d b\ <uul>< I.bom \\ . haie eighteen m fls Ind up in V" Zealand, and charters could be given ■to them. They could absorb many of Ffaa mm «"tajKhng Tjnfvmpioyprl on ihe\

are given charters, and the money you pay is taken aivaj' and not expended on Now Zealand goods. The food these men eat comes from foreign countries, and by chartering these foreign ships you are doing an . injustice to the farmers as well as the workers of the country. I would suggest that before you leave this country you give instructions that vessels bringing cargo for the Government bo manned by New Zealand seamen instead, of men working under cheap labour conditions. "A COMMUNITY OF SKELETONS." Mr. Walsh also asked for an amendment to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. It had always been understood, he said, that if an agreement was entered into by tho workers and the employers a preference clause would be inserted. It was found, however, in a recent case, that the Court did not have that.authority, and they were asking for it. "When yon go Home," concluded Mr.. Walsh, "you will be going to represent a community of skeletons instead of human beings if things go on as they are at present." RATIOETING OF WORK. Tho Prime Minister pointed out in his reply that tlie Government was still doing, and had done, more than any other Government to deal with the unemployed problem, and it had something like 16,000 men on its public works at present. It was also offering a £2 for £1 subsidy to local bodies to relievo the position. The money used had to be borrowed, and there was a limit to the financial resotirces. There was no inexhaustible supply of borrowed money. I think, <M>ntinued the Prime Minister, that we' are coming to ji position when wo will have to go in for rationing on tho public works, with this army of unemployed and the way money is being spent. It seems inevitable that rationing will have to be introduced if we are to provide employment for everyone—it seems to be' coming fast. « A deputationist: "What do you mean by rationing?" The Prime Minister: "Giving a man ■ work for a certain time, and then standing him aside to give another man a chance." He wont on to say that the Government had found there was a , limit to the savings of the people which could be borrowed, and that the people would only lend if they thought there was a fair chance of the money , earning interest. The Government ie- ■ alised the need, and was trying to meet it in every possible way, limited only by trie finance at its disposal. When the deputation talked of starvation, he would like to know where that was possible in the Dominion, when there ■ was a Hospital and Charitable Aid , Board organisation with the special duty of preventing such a thing. Ho was sure they would give relief when- '■ ever it was requested, and if it could be shown that this was not being done, ho would have the matter inquired into. "NO PARTY ADVANTAGE." "As for this talk about my leaving New Zealand," continued Mr. Forbes, "do you mean to say that because I leave New Zealand the whole position of Government comes to a standstill? Mr. Ransom is Acting-Prime Minister with full authority to' do all he can." Mr. Walsh: "And the understanding that he cannot bo shifted." Tho Prime Minister: "The Tinderstanding is that there will be no, parly advantage taken. Anything coming; forward will be discussed vv.i fought! out on the merits of the Bill, and the. only understanding is Ihal then; will] be "no party advantage." ] When tlic deputation talked about) what, it would do if the Uuemploy- j I merit Bill was passed in its present : form, his -answer, was that the Bill had been put forward, and it was for Parliament to decide its linsil | j shape. He did not like to hear | i people say thoy would not have the j Bill because it did not suit them. You will not get a Bill if you act like that, but you will get a fair Bill tli at Parliament will give you. Mr. Walsh: "Is it fair to tax a man thirty shillings?" WILL NOT BE BROW-BEATEN. The Prime Minister: "I cannot dictate to Parliament what, it shall do. Parliament represents the people, and has a right to express its opinions and ■ will, and to bring down I he measure which, it thinks proper to bring down. I want to see an Unemployment Bill because, I believe, despite what you say, that much good can be done. I am disappointed that after we have striven to put this Bill before Parliament and asked it to give us the best measure, you should cume along and say 'If we cannot get this and that we will not have it.' Parliament represents all sections, and is not going to be brow-beaten.'' Mr. Cook: "Tho workers will not be brow-beaten in what they will accept." The Prime Minister: "The Bill is 1 prejudiced by such an. attitude.'7 i Mr. Cook: "Far better to have none than the Bill in its present form.'' Tho Prime Minister replied tliut the ' Bill, provided that people in work could ■ assist those who were out of work. ! Mr. Cook: "In other word.--, .t wngc- ' reducing Bill." . GOVERNMENT'S CONTRIBUTION. ' Tho Prime Minister repeated that it ! gave tln> opportunity to those in work ' to assist men who were not employed. t As for the final shape it was likely to ■ take, neither he nor any member of the 1 deputation was able to predict, for it '■ was for Parliament to decide, and Par- ' liament would determine whether the levy would be on a flat rate, or not. J Labour members had stressed this point more than anything else. The flat levy f was recommended by tho Commission which made a thorough investigation of \ Uio position, and it wi;s put into the J Bill, while the Government was Lo pay v -j0 per cent, of the .expenditure. I Mr. Cook: "They recommended other sources of revenue." I The Prime Minister: "We decided . that the Government should pay 50 per cent., because we considered that it . is the Government's function to levy . taxation, and not to earmark any par--3 ticular taxes which are raised. We con- , sidered it better to do that lhan to -, allow any outside body to tax. the same r sources of taxation which the Governt ment, has to go to. Ho reminded the | 3 deputation that the Commission, which 3 made the reoommendafion had a repre--1 scntation of 50 per cent, of: workers, and the Government gave effect to the principal recommendations «>(.' that report. If the amendments suggested by 3 the deputation were necessary, then the ' House would support them, and they would go into tho Bill. Ho w.-ih not ablo to say whether P.-ulkymcnt. would * maintain tho flat levy. b COMPENSATION BILL COMING. ~ Dealing with other poinU raised by Uu dtput ition, \fi Foibc^ -,1 it< 1 tint iNcw /ljUucl only IkM i tlm 1 ml list , in tin piitnerslup «!ndi op'i id I tht phospluto ckpo-otv, Hid rh( ( mnmi m >n x ci-, -uho admmiit ml \ in v mil () c m ( Minds sepured the chequ t i if< oi lrciKht a\ ulablc «o tin) l Imj ph<ff» could bo landed t( flit lorn I pi vi ■> possible Ho Ihoiight Itnf tho vi m o ) incut legdidmg the n^( oi < *m cdi h j steimrr to ]ift Trl md fmil v '<< due t"> l thf dimrult-9 m {.pffmf i <mitibli. \t el it the lime J \ei\r n1 n •' -, gh-tqth inrw Ind l^ii nni «1 Hi i oi ninunt efin t I i n In Irmt transport with its nun inol i 1 Then in , < ni| i n i I >ll '" the liHtul ot thr \iini ii I I ii in i It t ould he, lnirodin < I hmllv m 1 it f frllowpd thf rrpfirt oi the '"M" Mtw ivhuh took on Ihp Milj "I &*■*