UNEMPLOYMENT

Evening Star, Issue 21007, 22 January 1932, Page 8

UNEMPLOYMENT

- APPEAL FOR FOOD BIG SUPPLIES STILL NEEDED In spite of the frequent appeals which have been made recently for supplies for the relief depots, the quantity of goods coming in has not been nearly sufficient to meet the demands which will be made during the weekend. A particularly heavy drain upon the resources is experienced during Friday and Saturday, and it had been hoped that the public, realising this, would have risen to the occasion, and that supplies would have come ih more freely. This has not beoj* the case, and it is now almost inevitable that many deserving cases will have to be turned away. There have been some magnificent responses to tho appeal for help on the part of a number of generous business firms and private individuals, but it would appear that the average person does not fully realise the extent of the distress, or has taken up the attitude that the responsibility for relieving it lies with the Government or the various local bodies'. It is worthy of mention that the Chinese residents of Dunedin, who in the past have proved themselves to be the possessors of a fine sense of public spiritedness, have again come to the fore, and have responded in a very generous manner. On Wednesday evening one firm of Chinese_ market gardeners delivered at the Citizen’s Relief Depot practically a lorry load of vegetables, comprising twenty-three sacks of green vegetables and four cases' of potatoes. Tho Hospital Board emergency office is still issuing orders to men on their stand-down week. The office hours will bo from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The Hospital Board has received, for the benefit of tho unemployed, tho sum of £1 from Mrs C.S.R.

HOSPITAL BOARD DEPOT

At tho Dowling street depot there is still an urgent need for men’s working boots and men’s clothing. Men on their stand-down week will receive meat and vegetables to-day. ■The following donations have been received: —Mrs Hendry, jam and groceries; “A Friend,” goods; MrJVFDonald, vegetables; “A Friend,” clothing; Mayor, Mosgiel, goods and vegetables; “Friend,” clothing; Miss Barnett, meat and vegetables; Roslyn, goods; “A Friend,” Mornington, clothing and sundries; Barton’s, meat; Mrs Ross, rhubarb; Mrs A.H., oatmeal; “ A South Dunedin Butcher,” 6 sheep. Four pairs of new men’s working boots have been received from Mrs W. R. Brinsley. In addition several parcels of clothing and tho sum of £2 17s have been received from tho Otago Yacht and Motor Boat Club (Social Committee). The money has been handed to the Hospital Board.

CITIZENS’ RELIEF DEPOT

The Citizen’s Relief Depot was closed yesterday for the distribution of food except in the case of a few people whose needs were particularly urgent. It was hoped by this action to accumulate a stock of provisions of all sorts which would bo sufficient to cope with the week-end demand, but in a large measure the expectations of tlie officials have not been realised. There is a plentiful supply of vegetables, but the depot is short of practically everything else, and prospects for to-day and to-morrow are anything but bright. Grateful acknowledgment is made of tho following donations: —St. Kilda Methodist Church (retiring collectipn), £2 4s 9d; “Anonymous” (Mosgiel), 10s; Miss Marvel Anderson, £2 5s 6d; “ Anonymous,” 10s; Wolfenden and Russell (fifth donation), one box butter; Miss Low, Mrs Parker, Mrs Walker, Miss Sanders, Mrs M'Carthy, W. Smith and Co., J. W. J., groceries; Banquet Tea Company, 101 b tea; Ding Chun and Son, twenty-three sacks vegetables, four cases potatoes; Mr Walker, 100 lettuces; Yuk Gie and Co., “A Friend,” and 52 Forbury crescent, vegetables; Brown, Ewing’s staff, box butter; “A Friend,” baby’s outfit; Mrs Lambeth, Mrs M'Donald, Peggy Cruickshanks, jam; Excella Tea Rooms, jam and cakes; “Garfield avenue,” jam and bread; Searle, Wright, and Co., bread; Milne, Bremner, two bags lentils; “A Friend,” and Mr Isaacs, boots; Lovells and Thomas Paterson and Co., potatoes and vegetables. ■ A three-quarter mattress and bedding is wanted for a special case. Anyone giving vegetables is requested to hold them over until next week, as sufficient are on hand for this week-end.

THE DEMONSTRATORS

PROTESTS AGAINST SENTENCES A largo body of delegates assembled in the Trades Hall last evening to attend a combined meeting of the Otago Labour Council and the Otago Labour Representation Committee called to consider the slops that should be taken to register a united protest against the imprisonment of tho leaders of the local unemployed workers who were punished for the disorder- that .took place in connection with tho recent food riots in tho city. The President of the Otago Labour Council (Mr W. G. Baird) briefly outlined tlie reasons for calling the meet-

ing. They would all agree, he said, that while disorder and violence must bo discouraged, there was at the same time a solemn duty resting upon the shoulders of the powers that be to see to it that people were not made desperate by intolerable conditions. Though several of the unemployed had been punished severely for their part in the disorder, the real culprits were the authorities themselves, for if the authorities had distributed the food which they knew was sorely needed when requested to do so by the unemployed deputation, there, would have been no disorder. The request, however, was refused, and the unemployed, seeing a hungry week-end in store for them and their families were in desperation driven to disorder. All the bodies that had been approached knew full well that the people were urgently in need of food, yet them all disclaimed ability to supply it ; but after the unemployed had occupied George •street and showed that they were not going to disperse empty-handed, the Otago Hospital Board decided to give £l5O to a relief depot to _ feed the needy. Why did the Hospital Board wait until the men were almost forced to take the law into their own hands? Why did tho Hospital Board say it had nothing to give when later in the same dav it was able to hand out £150? Mr Baiird wont on to say that the result of tho demonsration was a victory for disorder. In the face of that victory it would be difficult for the authorities in future to convico a hungry multitude that nothing was to be gamed by disorder because they themselves gave to disorder what they refused to concede to a constitutional appeal. Tho sentences inflicted upon the leaders were unduly severe, and it was tho duty of the Labour movement to do what could be done to have those men restored to their families as quickly as possible. Mr F. Jones, M.P.. said that both Mr Munro and himself were so astonished at tho severity of the sentences Afflicted on the. unemployed leaders that they at once telegraphed the Minister of Justice protesting against tho punishment and asking that the sentences be remitted or commuted. The Minister had replied that he had no power to review sentences imposed by the court, but that he would obtain the report from the court in tho usual way. Ho (the speaker) understood that, while the Minister of Justice might not be able to do anything by himself, the Executive Council had the power to review sentences imposed by the court. Mr Jones said it had not been shown that the convicted men. had incited the crowd to commit acts of violence, and any acts of violence that were committed were not committed by them, yet they were made to suffer for the acts of persons over whom they had no control. If those men merited punishment, then all who took part in the demonstration should have been punished also. It was grossly unfair that these few men should have been picked out for punishment merely because they happened to be the officials of the unemployed workers’ organisations. Had the Hospital Board giventhe relief in the first instance there would have been no disorder, and the leaders of the unemployed would not now be in gaol. Mr Jones expressed the opinion that the efforts of the local Hospital Board to assist tho needy imemployed did not compare favourably with those of the boards in other centres, and he concluded by saying that it was regrettable that the board did not use its funds for tho purpose of feeding the hungry rather than merely'to stop a riot. Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., said, that it was apparent throughout the city that the public generally were in full sympathy with the unemployed, and the general opinion expressed was that the refusal of the Hospital Board to satisfy their urgent needs left no course open to them other than that of attempting to obtain by unconstitutional means what they failed to win by constitutional means. He did not stand for turbulence, but he suggested that the authorities stood for it because it seemed to be the only influence that would move them. Natural law would induce every normal person to protect his family, and it was because these men had accepted the responsibility of protecting their families that they were now in gaol and their families were left without protetors. There was an attempt inade to hold Communism responsible for the "disorder, but anyone with any knowledge of the unemployed knew that Communism weighed very little with them, but hunger weighed a great deal. He had certainly been shocked at the severity of the punishment. , , A lengthy discussion took place as to tho means that should be adopted to secure the release o'l the convicted men, and eventually it was dcided that a full statement of the case should, be Separed and submitted to the Prime inister with a request that Cabinet should review the case.

HOLIDAYS FDR CHILDREN

The mayor and mayoress (Mr and Mrs R. S. Black) have in view the organisation of a very commendable scheme under which numbers of city children will bo given the. opportunity of spending a holiday in the country. At tho present time children who belong to homes which feel the effects of unemployment have no chance of getting away_ from town for a breath of country air, and it_ is hoped that, even at this comparatively _ late _ stage in the school summer vacations, it will be possible to give some of them a much-needed change. The scheme, however, is to he continued right through all the holidays of tho year, if the more or less experimental stages prove successful. In the meantime it is proposed to test the idea by sending children to places fairly near town (about twenty or thirty miles away), and it is thought that arrangements can be made to have tho little holiday-makers transported free to their hosts’ homes. If farmers or other country dwellers are willing to take one or two children for a few weeks during the holiday periods tho results should he most beneficial from tho health point of view. The mayor and mayoress intend opening a bureau to look into the matter straight away, and all those interested are asked to get into touch with them.

WHAT CANADA IS DOING ?

In Dunedin at the present time is Air E. Geddes, a native of the West Coast, who, since the war, has been living in Canada. _ Air Geddes is very much interested in helping to solve the problems with which the unemployed are faced, and, in the course of a chat with a ‘Star’ reporter he outlined some very practical schemes which are being adopted in Canada! Air Geddes said that under the Canadian system all the unemployed formed themselves into associations, embracing districts or provinces as tho case might ho. Tho associations were non-political and non-sectarian, and aimed solely at helping to ease distress by providing or finding work wherever possible, and by raising funds for relief purposes. Anyone who ventured to express a political opinion at a meeting ran

the risk of having his membership suspended for a certain period. Under the guidance of an efficient organiser, carnivals, gyrakanas, and bazaars —all on a large scale—were organised. By these methods big sums for the purchase of food were raised.

WOMEN'S UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

A special meeting of the Dunedin Women’s Unemployment Committee was 'held this morning, the mayoress (Mrs R. S; Black) presiding. The following resolution was sent to the Minister of Unemployment (Mr Coates) and to the Prime Minister (Mr Forbes) :—“ The Women’s Unemployment Committee in this city protests against the suggestion of any increase in unemployment tax on women’s and girls’ wages while women in receipt of £240 income—from _ any other source than wages—and private domestics are exempt.’-

COMMUNITY GARDENS SUCCESS AT STRATFORD The Unemployment Board’s proposal that the unemployed should, by cultivating garden plots for the growing of vegetables, inaugurate a self-help cairK paign has been regarded dubiously in some quarters, and doubts have been expressed as to the practicability of the* scheme.

The experience of the Gardening Club at Stratford serves to dissipate all doubt, and those of the -unemployed whp have a plot of ground available should receive inspiration from the achievements of workless men in the Taranaki town.

Judging by the subjoined comments of a prominent member of the club’s executive, Stratford appears to be fortunate in the selection of its gardening officer, but what he has done is possible of accomplishment in varying degree in. most parts of the dominion. The comments referred to above are as follows: “Our gardening officer was selected from the lists of the local unemployed. He has long been known as a hard grafter, and on our club work 'he consistently works with his home garden till dusk. He maintains that it is only after 5 p.m. that he can get the co-operation of many men, and fi they are disheartened or do not know how to go about things he stays with them as long as daylight lasts. _ Even on Sundays he is often off with his men helping them, and has actually got such a team spirit working that when one unemployed man went into hospital recently he arranged a working bee of the others to go and attend their mate’s garden. Several more esperinced members of the club are entrusted with the raising of 250,000'. cabbages, broccoli, leek plants, etc., for January planting. Recently some twelve of our members have gone far out on to reading contract work, and in every instance our officer has arranged for another club member to help the wife carry on the absentee’s garden. Our people had the benefit of an early start, and now their gardens are giving profitable returns, _ and stimulating them to further planting.” Local committees surely do not need stronger evidence (than this of the soundness of the vegetable-growing scheme when conducted on well-or-ganised lines. Of course, it is not possible to obtain the , same results everywhere. Conditions ' vary ; throughout the dominion, and what may easily be achieved in surburban and country areas because of the abundance of suitable land may be more difficult to carry out in cities, where garden space is restricted'. The Unemployment Board will take _ these factors into consideration; but it ex; pects the unemployed to make an honest effort to take advantage of whatever facilities are available.

GOVERNMENT PUNS large operations of permanent value [Special to the ‘ Star.’] WELLINGTON, January 22. Following last week’s representations to the Government from the hospital boards that tho unemployment problem has reduced them 'to financial extremity, the Minister of Unemployment received a deputation to-day from tho executive of the Municipal Association, which demonstrated a similar condition of affairs in respect to the larger municipalities. Mr Coates was assured by the deputation, which included the mayors of Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Invercargill that every assistance would be given to the Government in coping with the problem, and in asking that the State should carry the heavier share of the financial burden in future, there was no suggestion that local responsibilities would be evaded. The Mayor of. Christchurch stated that the city during three and a-half years had expended in relief of unemployment £IOO,OOO, and was bearing an expenditure of £l,lOO monthly for the administration of the No. 5 scheme. After general discussion of the subject an understanding was reached with the Minister that local bodies dealing with unemployment would submit to him a survey of their position. ■ PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

The deputation was pleased to gain the impression that, in the programme now being formulated by Mr Coates there would be provision for large scale operations of greater permanent value to the dominion than many of the temporary relief works previously undertaken. The Minister is also endeavouring to co-ordinate actual relief operations to avoid duplication by various organisations, and to secure more equitable distribution of all forms of assistance for the unemployed and their dependents.