PROVIDING RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 110, 11 May 1932, Page 9

PROVIDING RELIEF

MINISTERS ANXIOUS

EQUAL TREATMENT

Bepresentatives of the churches and social organisations waited upon the Minister of Employment .(the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) to-day to urge that better provision should be made for unemployed women. The deputation urged that the women should be pror vided for out of > the unemployment taxation. The Minister said, that a cohunittee was at present investigating the position throughout New Zealand and was consulting and advising the local organisations with a view to making recommendations to the Unemployment Board.

The main speaker was' the Key. A. M Armstrong^ Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly, who said the deputation represented the considered opinions of a conference of church leaders and social workers. Various influential deputations -had waited on the_ Government with respect to the position of unemployed women, but so far very little had resulted by way of improved conditions. They felt very strongly that better treatment was due to the women. , It was surely out of date that any should' discriminate between men and women and the more so when upon each equal demands were-made for taxation.' The unemployed women were left to the voluntary, care of; women's social organisations, which had neither the equipment nor ,the resources to 'deal with the exceptional problem effectively. He thought the Government would do "credit to itself if it would rectify things by regarding all unemplqyecj women as worthy of at least' something like the treatment arranged for single men. What they were asking for their women was simply social justice. It was their conviction that the.continuance, of.the present situation could prove disastrous. The legislation, by omitting to make provision for unemployed women and. girls, subjected them to grave distress ) and terrible danger; ■ ■ .. • ■•.-•■■■ V NINE POINTS. Mr. Armstrong said that /the deputation, made the . f pllowing suggestions for dealing with the position:— (1) A national register of unemployed women should be compiled, in order to get a correct view of "the problem and assessment of the need. (2) Women unemployed should be provided adequately for out of .present taxation, and, if this is insufficient, then a tax on luxuries should be imposed specially for their relief. , (3) Women should not be required to go through any process of humiliating investigation when seeking relief. (4) Women who aire now .working, but who have husbands, able to support them, should be "invited by the Government to draw off the labour market, and, so make room for unemployed women. Girls in offices and elsewhere, whose fathers are well •■ able to support them, should,also bo invited to stand down and make room for girls who are utterly dependent on themselv6s. (5), Women who ; cannot' be placed in homes, industry, or professions should receive assistance during the period of thoir need. (6) No woman should be forced an, to the rocks' of despair or destitution as long as there remains ,:any. income from w^ijsh taxa;tion can be raised'f or their protection. (7.) Steps should be- immediately taken to lay down the foundations fora.permanent unemployment insurance scheme to meet the national situation. (8) We suggest that voluntary, spasmodic, and sectional forms of relief for this major problem are not sufficient for the need, and finances required for the sustenance for women should be raised by a general tax if required, spread over the whole nation; or by a special loan raised for the protection,and provisioning o£ unemployed women., (9) In-,the meantime we urge that immediate financial resources be provided for the voluntary organisations, that they might temporarily assist the.- masses of needy unemployed women.:* :■!',- :. ,' ''NOBODY WILL STAByB.'' In reply, Mr. Coatesi. said • that; as far as women and children were concerned, they were being provided for as the result of the relief that is granted to married men. The new scale, of relief was designed specially to help ; niarried men, and whereas previously -; families with two children were treated on an equality with a.man and ; ynfo '.'•' only, under the revised scale "ppeeial account was taken of children. ; It must still be admitted, that, where : there were larger families and special circumstances, extra provision would 'require/, to . be ': made. Consideration, would therefore ba. given to' individual cases, •' and>: the stances as ascertained by. inquiry would be taken into reasonable account ,He. repeated the assurance that the Government^ould see that'nobody in New Zealand would starve.:• ;L f\ \.-;V. ■": ':■. ; i -Mr.' Armstrong, iasked. how- long .& wuld.be before the new scheme'was in operation.,..'" ;:-.,'"'.■/.-.*.'.'..-«'■■.'>.'•'' l"-:,. : Mr. Coates said thatj&e scheme was being- brought4nto*effect at the present time.. ,■. ; V ''.''■''[ ' : '::':', .- k'\ < :-j. ■ As- far as single1 women were ~ concerned, the: method ,adopted was1 to look to responsible wb'i^en's organisations and i to. central committees in each city. \ A special committee was now goirig through New Zealand- .with the object of assisting and advising' the. existing organisations and of .setting up new committees where necessary. He promised to put this' committee in touch with the members of this deputation. The requests put : forward by those dealing /with; the unemployment problem amongst women would have sympathetic attention. '".■"/'