UNEMPLOYMENT WAGES

Evening Star, Issue 19521, 31 March 1927, Page 13

UNEMPLOYMENT WAGES

v PREMIER STANDS FIRM STANDARD RATES IMPOSSIBLE 2Peb United Press Association] CHRISTCHURCH, March 30. The Prime Minister received three deputations from the unemployed to-day. The first was from, the Trades Hall Committee, which complained of the rates of wages paid to men on relief work, and of the effect of the Government s immigration policy. . Mr Coates said the Government could not, and did npt, accept responsibility for every unemployed man in ,the country. However, it did accept the responsibility of finding work and money to tide him over a difficult period. It was obvious that the Government could not find work for every man at standard wages. . Referring to immigration, Mr Coates said ho agreed that there was nothing to bo gained by bringing a man to New Zealand to be ono of the unemployed. The Government had agreed to cut out immigration from the first week in May until the end of, August. The first speaker for the second deputation (H. Hardgreaves) said he had been an officer in the Imperial Army, and had won the D.S.O. and M.C. “ I ask you honestly,’’ he said, “ is it fair to import people like myself from the Old Country and then find no work for them?”

Mr Coates: Can’t you try 12s a day? Hardgreaves: I can’t keep going on 12s.

Mr Coates: Would you not be better off at 12s than on nothing? Hardgreaves: I can make more. Mr Coates Very well, then, why don’t you do it? Hardgreaves: I’m a major, D. 5.0., M.C.. and here I am begging for work. The Prime Minister said it was puzzling that a man with Hardgreaves’s record had not been able to get work. Another speaker suggested that the Government should provide work for men other than navvying, some being unable to undertake such work. Mr Coates replied that ho was unable to promise clerical or similar work. Last of all came a deputation of one, E. L.. Hills, the leader of that section of the unemployed which expelled the group comprising the previous deputation. Hills is no longer unemployed himself.

“ I would not like you to think that the majority of the unemployed can be judged by these men.” said Hills. Air Coates said there was no possibility of the Government altering its decision regarding the wages offered.