"WRONG FOUNDATION"

Evening Post, Issue 149, 20 December 1935, Page 24

"WRONG FOUNDATION"

UNEMPLOYMENT ACT

GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 19. Some important indications of the plans and purposes of the new Government, especially in dealing with the problems of unemployment, were given by the Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J. Savage, when replying to a deputation that waited on him from the Women's Workers' .Movement. He asserted that the Government would take control of currency and credit. He promised complete equality of sexes and of races and said the Government's job was to get rid of the Unemployment Act and all that it imposed at the very earliest 1 opportunity. , , .■ In replying to the deputation, which ■ was demanding better ways of provid- > ing employment for women; Mr. I Savage pointed out that he and his colleagues had only been in office for I about eight or ten days, and they had I been limited for money. They had investigations made to see how much ■ money they could lay hands on to help I people in need, and they got £100,000 • and another £20,000 to add to what - the hospital boards were doing. "We said it would be necessary to \ control the financial system and curI rency and credit," said Mr. Savage. I "YVe are going to do that, and as long 5 as the people are willing to produce } the necessaries of life in New Zealand L they are going to get them, and no . power on earth is going to stop them. c I am going to see that that is put into operation." s Referring.to the presence of a Maori a among the speakers of the deputation; II Mr. Savage said she had every right Ito be there. He was Native Minister t and there would be no dividing line c whatever between the races.' There *■ was no dividing-line'between men and '* women generally. Whatever was prolf vided for men would also be provided '* for women. There was nothing the Government could do that would not be done towards wiping put any line that existed between the sexes or

races. • ' : -:\: -■■■' '■; • - ■'■■ ■■ " : ■ '- "I am concerned," said Mr. Savage, "about finding places in economic life and the Public Service for women as well as men without any distinction whatever, and to make it possible for women to draw wages something in the nature of equality for equal service.

"There is only one thing I regretthat it is not possible to interfere with the machinery in operation" today in the matter of the Christmas bonus. It could not be reasonably done at the present time. I am condemning nobody. The Unemployment Board was never right—any part of it from the beginning. The Unemployment Act 'was the wrong foundation, and the superstructure will never be right. Our

job is to get rid of the Unemployment Act and all that it imposes at the very earliest opportunity." ; ' '