UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1930, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT BOARD

REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED. [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, November 13. Applications for registration under tho Unemployment Act have practically ceased, and it is estimated by the Post Office authorities that a total of 440,000 persons have'been registered throughout the country up till to-night. CHRISTCHURCH FIGURES. CHRISTCHURCH, November 13. The total number of registrations under the Unemployment Act in the Christchurch potsal district to date is 50,596. Of these, 32,681 registered in the city and suburbs, BUY N.Z. MADE GOODS. WELLINGTON, November 13. “I don’t think the depression will last long. I have seen bad times before in New Zealand,- and I have noticed New Zealand seems to revive in a very short time. We have a most energetic enterprising people with plenty of initiative and there is no need for pessimists. The depression is only temporary, and I believe the future will be richer'’than the past" said Mr Cobbe, Minister of Defence, to the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association tonight. The Minister was present in place of Mr A. de la Perelle, Minister of In- ' dustries and Commerce, at the annual dinner of the Association.

They were now doing more publicity work said the Minister, and were showing the people of New Zealand, that there was no need to go to America, Germany or anywhere else for goods that New Zealand made. One of the ways to relieve unemployment was by assisting their own industries and so providing employment. While farming was the chief industry they could not all be farmers, and all did not want to become farmers. The Minister quoted figures of factory production for 1929, showing how greatly it had increased. Manufacturers had good reason to be proud of such a fine record, business in New Zealand was not as good just now as they would like it to be, and the prices of primary products were low, but he was sure the depression would not last very long.

ALLIANCE SECRETARY. [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] . WELLINGTON, November 13. Mr James Roberts, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, says: It is absolutely correct that, in reply to the Minister of Labour, he said the objections to the method of selecting the representatives of the Unemployment Board, did not come from the Alliance, but came from the Unions. Mr Roberts reiterates that this is an absolutely correct statement, numbers of the Unions having protested against the method before the Alliance took action. Mr Roberts points out further that it is a longstanding policy -of the Labour movement that any person required to represent Trade Unions in any Governmental position should be elected by the trade unionists-themselves. Mr Roberts objects to it being re ported that he denied any knowledge of the circular sent to the Unions and to its being further reported that the Minister had not a copy of the latter. These statements were contrary to fact, and both did violence to commonsense. Mr Roberts gives the following statement, as to what took place at the deputation. The Minister stated that he had information from branch unions of the Alliance to the effect that, but for the protest made by the Alliance, those organisations would have remained silent about the method of election. He (Mr Roberts; would lilce to see a copy of the letter. The Minister said'that he had not a copy of the letter but this had been told verbally by men who had attended the meetings of affiliations of the Alliance. The Minister said, however, that he had a copy of the circular in his office, whereupon Mr Roberts replied, “I have a copy of it here,” and produced it. Mi* Roberts says that it will be seen from the fact that the was distributed throughout the Dominion, and published in extenso by two daily papers, it would be absurd, on his part, to deny that it was sent out. He did not deny it. AUCKLAND’S DECISION AUCKLAND, November 14. The decision of the Wellington Trades ancLLabour Council, to support the Unemployment Act, was endorsed by the Auckland Trades Council. One union secretary said that the Alliance of Labour had no authority for suggesting some unionists would not pay the levy. It could safely be said that the national industrial movement would support the Act, and probably quarrel with the'method of electing the wbrkers’ representatives, later on.