RELIEF POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 24, 28 July 1933, Page 9

RELIEF POLICY

CONFERENCE URGED

SEEKING A SOLUTION

MINISTER' DOUBTS

Proposals that fnc present relief scheme should bo suspended and tlisvt sustenance should be paid, and that tho Government should arrange an immediate conference to evolve a national policy in connection with unemployment, were placed before the Minister of Labour (tho Hon. A. Hamilton) today by a deputation from tho National Union of Unemployed. The deputation also asked for the removal of several anomalies in tho administration work of the Unemployment Board. The Minister said he was always prepared to discuss freely and fully with the deputation questions affecting the unemployed, and he would go into the matters raised by them. Incidentally, he remarked that at the present tho board was allocating £10,000 or £11,000 a week more than their average weekly income, and that registrations wore increasing. Mr. S. Vella, secretary of the National Union of Unemployed, submitted the following proposals::—

Tentative proposal:' That the present relief scheme be suspended and the Sustenance Act, 1930, be applied. Alternative, proposal: (1) That the Government arrange an immediate conference between a representative Parliamentary committee, employers, employed, and unemployed, to evolve a national policy -whereby an all-round increase in workers' purchasing power will bo established and protected.

Kemoval of the following administrative anomalies: (1) When an unemployed man cannot be placed in work, his" payment remain the same as when he is at work; (2) that the present cut of two hours each week be immediately abolished and full sustenance paid; (3) that the Unemployment Board be instructed by tho Government to publish an audited balance-sheet yearly (1932) to be shown, and further that the Government order the board to publish a list of all recipients of subsidies from the fund, with the amount of subsidy to each shown, together with the number of unemployed workers absorbed by each recipient; (4) that provision be mado by law that no unemployed worker be asked to pay more than 25 per cent, of his allocation in rent when .there is no other source of income; (5) that no local authority be permitted to employ unemployed at relief rates for essential works; (6) that employers be not permitted to dismiss hands for the purpose of having them registered as unemployed so as to gain the subsidy; (7) That the ''contracting out" scheme be abolished.

He said that in June last a deputation from the National Union had pointed out that they were' below the safety-line, and had suggested that more revenue- be found for the fund. It was suggested now that if sustenance were provided, unemployed registrations might be set on a decline which would likely to become continuous. Much useful and necessary work was being undertaken with subsidised labour, and it was more than likely that in the first two months or so registrations would recede- by 20,000. The fund even at that level would go further. There would bo more per head for the unemployed, and there would be more purchasing power in the hands of those who had been absorbed, which would automatically draw still more men; into regular employment. Either relief labour -\\;as going to encroach more and more on genuine labour occupations, or the.drift had to be diverted. The application of the payment of sustenance should result in all concerned bein# better provided for. There was a tre mendous population of State-organised labourers, and every additional neces-sary-or useful job, which was done ou subsidised or relief labour, presented a more and more despairing outlook. That was a development which he exhorted the Minister to check on behalf of nearly all the unemployed of New Zealand.

MANY ANOMALIES,

Mr. Vella contended that this was the psychological time for a conference to be set up. He was confident that it would recommend that the representatives of the men should have ready access, not only to the Commissioner, but to the. board." Many unnecessary anomalies could have been averted had there been a representative of the men on the board. In the meantime, there should at least be available one member of the board continuous]}^ to whom matters could be put from the men in the proper representative way.

Mr. Vella also requested the publication of a list of recipients of the Unemployment Board's subsidies, and he contended that' contributors were entitled to that information. "May we have a statement as to whether you have a desire or a plan to facilitate the absorbing of the unemployed into freo citizenship again, or if, on the other hand, this. development of Stateorganised, cheap labour is favourable to the wishes, the aims, and objects, of the Government?" ho said.

Support for Mr. Vella was given by Mr. D. McLoughlin, who also stressed the undesirability of compulsory camps for married met " .

The Minister: The camps are pretty ■well filled, aren't they1?

Mr. McLauchlin referred to the mv position of a penalty for refusal.

The Minister: Supposing a man re fuses to go to ■work here? '

Mr. McLauchlin: But this is where they have to leave their homos.

The Minister: I think that 10,000 or 15,000 men are in camp.

Mr. McLauchlin: Voluntarily? The Minister: Do you all go to work voluntarily?

Ho added that they could not have people altogether defying them. They were- finding difficulty through resolutions being passed objecting to- the camps. He suggested that the organisation should withdraw its opposition.

Mr. Vclla: Wo withdrew that some months ago. If the compulsion was dropped, then we had no objections to men going voluntarily.

The Minister said that if a man or his wife was sick, or there was sonic sickness in the family, there could be a case against a man going to camp.

Mr. McLauchlin asked for the re storatiou of the two-hour cnt.

BOARD'S EXPENDITURE,

The Minister pointed out that the country districts were asking for the city scale of allocation now. The hoard was allocating £10,000 or £11,000 a week more than the average woeklj' income now. Registrations were increasing, and if sustenance were given without work he thought that registrations would further increase.

Mr. McLauchlin said it was difficult for a man who received £1 7s 6d a I week and who paid &X 5s a week rent to Hvc. The Minister: I don't think there are many doing that. Mr. McLauchlin: I have a concrete ease.

The Minister: Docs he live on 2s Cd a week?

Mr. McLauchlin: Ho looks .around getting a few vegetables. Considerable discussion arose out. of a request for'the abolition of.the "contracting out" scheme. The Minister: What do you understand by "contracting out"?

Mr. Vclla said that mea who had

been injured and who wore put to work which might be found too severe for them, resulting in a further injury, signed a document contracting out of any liability.

The Minister referred to the ordinary insurance practice, and said that the Unemployment Board did not want to contract out of anything. The board had no desire to avoid any liability.

MINISTER'S REPLY.

The Minister said that ho would look into the matters raised by the deputation. As far as the request for sustenance was concerned, ho had already expressed his- opinion that registrations might not drop. In the. meantime, it was the Government's policy th.it sustenance should bo worked, out. It was out of the question just now to consider dropping all the schemes and putting all the men on to sustenance. Some deputations said that the men preferred work to sustenance. Regarding the request for a conference, the Minister remarked that these were the days when conferences were being attacked, and some of the big ones lvere failing to como to a conclusion. Ho expressed doubt as to tho satisfactory outeomo of a conference unless there was some real purpose, and some real line advanced. So far as the 'request for tho restoration of the two-hour cut was concerned, the Minister again referred to tho fact that tho country districts would be very pleased to get the allocation given in the cities. It had to be remembered, however, that there was a limit. In reference- to the request for the publication of a balance-sheet, he pointed out that the board published an. annual report.