TEMPORARY RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 11

TEMPORARY RELIEF

MINISTER'S STATEMENT

The Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), when interviewed, explained that, as a matter of policy, it had been necessary for his Department to resist numerous applications for employment relief made by persons engaged in competitive businesses, in which category the fishing industry was included. Otherwise there was no knowing where the stopping place would be in granting assistance from the Employment Promotion Fund; and those in small businesses might find themselves seriously embarrassed through competitors being subsidised from a State fund.

The Minister added that the member for the district (Mr. J. Hargest) had for some time been making representations with the object of having some form of assistance granted to the Stewart Island fishermen during the period of slackness, and the Minister had been investigating the , position. Hitherto he had not been able to see his way clear to authorise the granting of relief; but he had now received information that the Stewart Island men did not catch fish for the New Zealand market but for export to Australia. This had put a different complexion on the case and distinguished the Stewart Island fishermen from other applicants engaged in competitive businesses in the New Zealand market. As a result he felt justified in departing from the strict rule referred to. Arrangements had accordingly been made with the local county council for it to grant relief to necessitous cases on the recommendation of the local certifying officer. The council would be reimbursed by the Labour Department. These arrangements* would, of course, apply only during the period of extraordinary slackness in the Stewart Island fishing industry.