UNEMPLOYED

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 April 1927, Page 6

UNEMPLOYED

A LABOUR DEPUTATION

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 13. The Alliance of Labour organised a deputation which waited on Air J. G. Coates and the Minister of Labour (Mr G. J. Anderson) to-day. The deputation raised the question of unemployment and immigration. Mr Ben Davidson. General Secretary of the United Aline Workers of New Zealand, claimed that the Government’s immigration policy - is directly responsible for the unemployment, and he urged its abandonment. The postponement of public, works not immediately necessary, with the object of bringing them on at a slack period, and having them performed at a cheap rate of relief pay, were charged against the Government by Secretary J. Roberts. He urged standard rates of pay for relief works. In his opinion, the importations of timber from U.S.A, were economic suicide. The deputation, he said, wanted the Government to assist the Confereiice in organising a bureau, so that the un employed could be assured of work at trade union rates of pay. Hon. G. J. Anderson, in reply, expressed astonishment that the Government should be blamed for the unemployment. He emphatically denied the Government had been postponing work in order - to get it done cheaply later. If standard rates of pay were given for relief work, the workers would not seek work elsewhere. The Government’s object was to provide tlje meii with food and .shelter until they secured some better position ol a permanent nature. He trusted the country was a long way from giving out doles.

There was a, general cry of protest from the deputation when Air Andersen suggested that everybody was living higher than he should. The Prime Alinister’s reply was subjected to several interjections. The difficult question of unemployment, he said- was exercising Iho mind of Cabinet Alinisters, day and night. He affirmed that the last thing the Government wanted to do was to lower the standard of living. If we were, to expect better times, we must liaVe more people, mere industries and more encouragement for them to develop along naturally sound lines.