THE UNEMPLOYED

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 53, 31 August 1934, Page 10

THE UNEMPLOYED

SHOULD COME FIRST

CUMULATIVE POVERTY

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE

The opinion that more adequate provision should bo made for tho unemployed beforo there was any restoration of salary and pension cuts was expressed in tho House of Ecprcsentatives last night by the Labour member for Wellington Central (Mr. P. Fraser), when initiating a debate on unemployment. "Neither tho Government nor tho country can get away from tho question of unemployment," said Mr. Fraser. "There is no chance _of the Government getting away from ft until some better provision is mado for the unfortunate people who arc out of work." Mr. Fraser declared that figures which had been prepared by the Unemployment Board in reference to tho state of the Unemployment Fund were totally misleading. He would hesitate to believe that members of tho Cabinet—in fact, he would not like to believe it—were parties to what was nothing more nor less than a policy of deception. For from three to three and a half years thousands of people in tho Dominion had been in the direst need and had been suffering I'roiu the cruellest form of poverty, a kind of cumulative poverty. Not only had they lost their homes, but they had lost their furniture and their clothes. The present was not the time to put the suffering of the people into the background, and he hoped that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance would not do so. Unfortunately that was the position as disclosed in tho Budget. Although the Labour Party ■ had always been opposed to the present form of wages tax, believing that it was wrong in its incidence but not in its principle, he personally was opposed to any reduction in that tax until provision had been made for the unemployed. He did not believe thero was a worker earning £4 a week who was so mean as to say he was anxious to save 8d a week at the expense of his unfortunate fellow workers and their families, THE BOARD'S DUTY. The taking off of the tax at a time when it was the clear and bounden duty of the Unemployment Board to make better provision for the unemployed should be protested against in the strongestjpossible way, said Mr. Fraser. He -believed in tho restoration of the cuts, although he thought it should have been greater, and he approved of the restoration of the old age pensions, although he believed they should have been 10 per cent, and retrospective to April 1, but at the same time ho thought before any restoration had been mado there should have been better provision made for the unemployed. Tho whole conscience of the people had been aroused as a result of tho appalling conditions of tho unemployed. Mr. Fraser said that the Minister of Defence proposed to spend another £260,000 on defence, but what had thousands of people in New Zealand to defend? Their poverty? New Zealand was.-well worth defending as a country and the peoplo woro worth, defending as a people. There was no better country and no better people, but what had the unemployed workers to defend? Their inadequato wage? Their starvation conditions? Tho Minister of Defence (tho Hon. J. G. Cobbe): Do you believe in defending the country? Mr. Fraser: Yes, and I believe as much in giving the people something to defend. Tho enemy of poverty is within the gates today, tho enemy of poverty that breeds disease and condemns thousands of children to a predisposition to disease. It is not a political question; it as a high moral question. We aro our brothers' keepers., Mr. E. Semple (Labour, Wellington East) supported Mr. Eraser's remarks, and said it would be better to give £120,000 to the unemployed than give a gift to the brewers. MX F. Langstono (Labour, Wainmrino) mado a plea for better consideration for the unemployed in the country districts. Those in the country had had further reductions in their pay and had lost all the benefit they received when their levy was reduced i'rom 5s to Is a quarter. Many men and their families were on, tho verge of starvation. SILENT SUFFERERS. Mr. E. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) said that the statements that had been made regarding the condition of. the unemployed were literally true. Social organisations in Wellington had appealed to the public to supply second-hand clothing, and now the peoplo -had no more to give. A large body of tho unemployed were silent sufferers. They had worked and striven to make New Zealand what it was. They were descendants of the best stock,, and what was said about them in the House was not exaggerated. There should be no reduction in tho wage tax, except to exempt those who wero earning a maximum of £2 a week. If the great majority of the people knew how the unemployed were suffering they would not object to paying the samo tax. , Thero was no outlook for the unemployed, and if the Government could make some improvement it- would mean a great deal to the public. An incidence of tho allowance to the unemployed would help the community generally. He contended that work which would bring iv a proper return should be given the unemployed, and with that end in view ho advocated the setting up of a committee representative'of all parties in the House. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Independent, Thames) said that tho Government should start a scheme that would help to bring about better conditions. Mass meetings wero hold throughout tho country, yet the Government did nothing. National works of a reproductive character could bo undertaken if tho Unemployment Fund were capitalised. Improvements for certain members of the community had been.suggested in the Budget, but nothing had been done for tho unemployed who were most deserving of assistance. There should be no reduction of the unemployment tax under present conditions. REDUCED NUMBERS. The Minister of Finance (tho Et. Hon. J. G. Coates) said it should not be overlooked that thero had been a reduction in the number of men registered on relief works. Mr. F. Jones (Labour, Dunedin South): And a reduction in relief also. Mr. Coates: No, it has gone up since last year. .The Minister went on to point out that thero had been a considerable increase in the Public Works Vote this year, and the Government also, had a building programme in the main centres involving some hundreds of thousands of pounds. Tho aim of the Government was to got men back into their trades on normal work. At the present time the unemployed worker in Xew Zealand had a much better outlook than he had had for some time past. There was another point. If local bodies would undertake the preparation of schemes for better hous-

ing, conditions in boroughs and cities the Government would be prepared to associate itself with any of those schemes, provided it was possible to reach a practical plan. Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central): How much money will you vote for that purpose? The Minister: Wo haven't limited ourselves ia aay, way.