NO ONE STARVING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 10

NO ONE STARVING

MINISTER EMPHATIC

LABOUR CHARGES

SITUATION* MET

Statements .which havo been made by members of tho Labour Party and speakers at deputations to Ministers that peoplo aro starving owing to the stress of unemployment wero emphatically repudiated in the House of Bepresentatives yesterday by the.Prime Minister (the Bight Hon. G. W. Forbes). Mr. Forbes was discussing a point which had been raised that Parliament had intended sustenance to be paid under tho Unemployment Act, and ho went on to say that tho stago had not been reached yet when that was necessary. The Leader of tho Labour Party (Mr. H. E. Holland): "Women and children are starving in the meantime." ■ Mr. Forbes said that that was tho sort of statemeut that was being mado in tho House and at deputations. He said he could refer to quite unprejudiced peoplo who would deny such statements—peoplo who were connected with charitable aid boards and who wore in-a position to speak authoritatively. They said thoy know of no person who was starving. "Let us have tho names of people who are starving," said Mr. Forbes, "and we'will see that they are sent to the proper organisation for assistance." Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central): "Oh, they aro not starving; they aro just not dying!" Mr. Forbes repeated that organisations in a position to givo a reliable opinion said no ono was starving. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) said that if people could got neither work nor sustenance, and wore unable to get food, because tho Government had reduced the subsidies to charitable aid boards, then they must be faced with starvation. Peoplo had como to him and had told him thoy had to go without meals. "Personally," ho confessed, "I don't think that is necessary; ■I don't think the hospital boards will really allow anybody to starve." CO-ORDINATION NECESSARY. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Beform, Thames) said it would bo a roproach to tho social .service if there were instances of starvation, and statements that there was starvation would only create bad feeling. A perfect co-ordination of services was'necessary to prevent anything of the kind. Mr. Parry said he know pf many people who were three-parts starving. 'Mr. C. E. Maemillan (Beform, Tauranga): "Which three-parts?" Mr. Parry said he know of thousands who were underfed and under-nour-ished. There was no doubt that every member of tho House believed when' tho original Act was passed that sustenance would be paid in the event of no work being found for the unemployed. A DUTY. . The Minister of Health (the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy) said that any member who said ho knew of peoplo who were starving was casting a reflection upon himself. If any person knew another person was starving it was his duty to report tho matter to tho organisations of the State which had been set up to deal with such cases. Ho had received several reports of peoplo starving, and had always made investigations, but had never found peoplo to be in a starving condition. Tho country' had au admirable hospital system, and in addition there was a large number of, voluntary organisations which wero doing excellent work. The rations issued by hospital boards were considered adequate by medical men. • , .

Mr. B. So'mplo (Labour, "Wellington East): "Some of them would not like to live on them."

Mr. Stallworthy said that thcvolun-

tary organisations wero working in con- - 'junction with the hospital boards in order that the work might bo done efficiently. There wero 38 organisations in Auckland, and'they <wero in contact . with practically all the people in the . city. It only needed a friend to report a case of starvation for assistance to ■be given. The organisations were do- < ing wonderful work in all tho cities, • and there was no overlapping. There . was no reason why anyone should : : starve. ' Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour, Christ- '-. church South) said that 12s 6d a week, ' the amount allowed for rations, was not enough to provide for a man and his family. That allowance was starvation ■■ itself. . Mr. Semple: "The Minister ought to practice it." Mr. Howard said he.was certain the ' Minister of Labour had really intended ~ to pay sustenance. Mr. C. Carr (Labour, Timaru) said that the trouble about the problem of people starving was that they often .. preferred to suffer in silence. They might be foolish, but they wero too proud to ask for help. "Wo don't want J. an 'ambulance Government,'" he said; - "we. want s, policy that will prevent starvation." . MB. HOLLAND'S BARGAIN. Mr. H. E. Holland stated that there were hundreds of children in New Zealand who had to go to school without food, and there were mothers who had barely sufficient to cat day by day. In many homes bread and dripping constituted the food supply, and tho Minister could not deny it. Would the ~ Minister givo an assuranco that in ;' every caso tho Labour Party brought under his notice an adequate supply of ~ food would be made available? "The Minister is very silent now," commented Mr. Holland. '_ Tho Minister of Health: "The Government has met every caso repro- ' sented to it." Mr. Holland contended that provision was not made and that in hundreds of ' families there was a shortage of food. Mr. Semple: "There aro thousands in .'. ..Wellington." Mr. Holland said that if the Minister would' give an assuranco that in every case adequate food would bo made available until tho breadwinner had found work, ho would ask those affected to notify-him, and tho Minister would be sorry he had spoken. Mr. Semple:* "Wo will keep him busy."