RELIEF WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1931, Page 15

RELIEF WORK

REPLY TO MR. STRAND

In a statement sent to "The Post" Mr.. Butler, secretary of the General Labourers' Union, referring to the remarks made by Mr. Strand, Mayor of Lower Hutt, at the recent council meeting in the Hutt, says that the statement made by Mr. Strand that he was "a paid organiser" gave the inference that he was being paid for attempting to do something on behalf of the relief workers, and was wholly unjustifiable. If Mr. Strand can prove that he was getting one penny for his activities on behalf of the relief workers, lie (Mr. Butler) will pay £10 to any charity Mr". Strand cared to nominate.

Mr. Butler encloses a copy of the letter whihe had been sent to the local members of Parliament, and representatives of tho various local bodies in the Wellington district, which had caused the discussion in tho Hutt Council. The letter stated: ."Wo ask, you, Sir, if you would consent to be v member of a deputation consisting oil theMayors of Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, and Eastbourne, local members of Parliament, tho chairman of the Makara and Hutt Counties, and the chairman of the Johnsonvillc Town Board, or their representatives, to wait on the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, and tho Minister of Unemployment, the Hon. J. 0. Coatcs, at an early date, to be arranged, in order to place before them tho urgency of granting an adequate allocation to meet tho calls on these local bodies, in order to provide work for the men who are unemployed in the Wellington city and onvirons."

Mr. Butler acids: "Tho letter also pointed out that tho allocation to the various local bodies was being restricted, and this had the effect of creating considerable hardship amongst tho unemployed, as some married men averaged 25s 9d per week and sometimes less, the workers in tho Hutt Valley being hit to a greater extent than tho other workers, and it was hardly playing cricket for Mr. Strand to use an invitation of this description, which aimed to give relief to the men in his district, in order to let oft1 some steam which had been boiling in his breast since the argument regarding tho Akatarawa camp somo months ago. As a matter of fact, my action in connection with the Akatarawa camp took the form of rebutting certain statements made by another gentleman, and I am pleased to say that an impartial ruport appearing in the 'Evening Post,' obtained by a •representative of 'The Post,' endorsed tho salient points which I made on that occasion. Tho 'insulting Innguago' that Mr. Strand refers to exists in his imagination only, and I challenge him to make public tho statements which ho refers to, failing which ho should withdraw his remarks mado at a meeting where I had no opportunity of replying to them. The object of the deputation is clearly defined in the letter, and when it is assembled at Parliament Buildings, the members of tho deputation can appoint their own speakers, our activities in this connection boing merely confined to draw them together in a united effort to obtain relief for the men who are not getting sufficient for their wives and families."