RELIEF PAY CUTS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1933, Page 12

RELIEF PAY CUTS

UPPER HUTT PROTEST

A NO. 10 SCHEME QUERY

"Constant dripping will wear away a stone, and I think the heart of the Minister of Employment is made of stone," said Councillor J. P. O'Flaherty at the meeting of the Upper Hutt Borough Council last night in moving that yet another vigorous protest against the reduction in the relief pay allocation be sent to the Minister. "The present amount, is totally insufficient," remarked Councillor T. E. Jameson. "It is impossible for a man to feed his children, even with bread and butter." "It's not sufficient for bread and dripping," agreed the Mayor (Mr. A. J. McCurdy). "Yet there's plenty of food in the country," remarked Councillor G. H. Guthrie. Councillor O'.Flaherty's motion was seconded by Councillor Guthrie and carried without dissent. It asked for 'an increased allocation, and pointed out that the seasonal woyk offering to Upper Hutt men was negligible. - Attention was drawn by Councillor J. Blewman to the fact that men registered in Wellington, were being employed under the No. 10 building scheme on the Home of Compassion job to the exclusion of the locally registered men. The Mayor read a letter of protest which he had sent to the Unemployment authorities on this matter. He said he had received no reply, but added, that he thought the reply would be to the effect that the matter was entirely one for the contractor. The council passed a. resolution asking the Commissioner of Unemployment why preference was not given to locally-registered men on No. 10 scheme jobs, particular mention being made of the Home of Compassion building. ,