UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1933, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

WELLINGTON STRIKE FAILURE. [pee press association.] f WELLINGTON, July 14. No further picketing relief jobs by the striking relief workers was leported to-day. A number of men walked through the town to-night, b ing under the watchful eye of a number of police, but they made no a - tempt at an organised march. It is stated that out of over 2000 relief workers, only about 100 are, now out, and the opinion is ventured in certain quarters that the strike is virtually out. y A depot issuing food to the strikers and their families was established to-day, however, by the Wellington Relief Workers’ Union. C. N. Brooks, one of the four men arrested for alleged illegal picketing, was released on bail, counsel stating the application was made at the request of accused’s wife. HASTINGS MEETING. HASTINGS, July 14. A meeting of 200 striking relief workers was addressed at Hastings this afternoon by a Wellington man, who was referred to by the Chairman, Mr F. J. Spear, as Comrade Kelly. Throughout the proceeding's criticism of the strike news appearing in the Press was made, it being stated that the position as to the number of men on strike in other centres had been misrepresented. Another feature of the proceedings was the omission to put to a vote the Hastings Central Relief Committee’s proposal that a secret ballot on the strike should be held.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted: “That this mass meeting of the relief workers of Hastings, having been on strike for over a fortnight, and recognising that our delegates have visited centres for support in the struggle, and that Wellington is definitely out in support, and that many other centres are preparing to support us, we look upon the statements given m the Press by S. Vella and D. McLaughlin on behalf of the National Union of Unemployed as misleading, and as a deliberate attempt to use a biased Press to weaken the strike. We emphatically, condemn their attitude and are of the opinion that they are acting purely as strike breakers, and against the best interests of the working class.” SPOONER’S RANGE MEN. NELSON July 12. The Commissioner of State Forests (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) has replied to Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., and Mr W. J. Moffatt (Mayoi- of Nelson), who submitted a report on the Spooner’s Range Forestry Camps. The report had recommended a number. of improvements and that the men be paid for the four and a half days’ work lost through their protest march to Nelson, as it was considered the demonstration was justified. The Commisisoner stated that the recommendation regarding the pay for the four and a-half days could not be adopted, as the men left the camp on their own initiative. After dealing with other recommendations, the Commissioner stated: “In conclusion, I have to state that the camp, conditions are quite satisfactory, and orders have been given that any' man refusing to work is to be dismissed.”

SOUTHLAND HOSPITAL. INVERCARGILL, July 14. Important decisions in connection with the now General Hospital at Kew were reached at a meeting of the Southland Hospital Board. Tenders for an inpatients’ block, estimated to cost £40,000, are' to be invited forthwith. It was further decided to apply, under the amended No. 10 Scheme, for a subsidy on the complete hospital, which prior to the introduction of the sales tax and the rise in exchange, was estimated to cost £llO,OOO. FLAX MILL CONTRACT. WELLINGTON, July 14. New Zealand Woolpacks and Textiles Ltd., to-day accepted a tender for the erection of a 36 loom mill for the spinning of flax fibre into a textile for wool packs. The work is to commence to-morrow. The company has also accepted the tender of a Leeds (English) firm for the supply of machinery. It is to be delivered in time for the completion of the building sixteen weeks hence. The total cost involved is £35,000. The company has secured seven acres of land on th© railway line at Foxton. The buildings will have 51,000 square feet of space. If the project is successful, mills will also be started at Tauranga and in Southland. DUNEDIN POST OFFICE. WELLINGTON, July 14. The construction of the Dunedin Post Office will be proceeded with without delay, according to an official statement. Messrs Hamilton and Bitchener have been in consultation with the heads of their Departments. Tenders will be called within one month. The work will begin almost immediately, as the contractors worked out all the details in June, 1931. The work is to be finished in three years from the date of commencement. The foundation has already been constructed by the Public Works Department. The building will cover a whole city block, of approximately 142 feet by 150 feet. The design is distinctly modern, with no cornices or projections, except the Princes Street frontage, where a large rennaisance feature, 84 feet wide, extending through the seven storeys, marks the main entrance front. GREYMOUTH COMMITTEE. A total of 106 applications for assistance were received by the Mayor’s Relief of Distress Committee, from Greymouth and Cobden residents, this week, and each applicant was granted a small parcel of general foodstuffs. During the week, 120 pieces of meat were distributed. Between 70 and 80 dockets for goods were issued, as a result of the offer of the Cash-and-carry provisions, Ltd., to distribute parcels. The balance of the dockets will be issued next week. This has been the “short” week, the allocations from the Unemployment Board being only 7/6 for twoday men, 12/6 for three-day men. and £1 for four-day men. The following donations were received during the week:—Messrs Riordan, Blanchfield, Robertson,

1 Shannon and Glen, and Adams Bruce, bread, cakes, and pics; “The Dainty,” bacon: marrows, Mr F. A. Kitchingham; per Mr F. G. Davies, clothing and shoes; Haglund Bros., 20 packets breakfast food; “The Jeannette,” clothing; anonymou ', clothing and stockings. The following further donations have been received by the Mayor’s Relief of Distress ar.l Unemployment Fund: — Previously acknowledged £254 5 6 Grey Main School S:aff 10 0 Unknown 50 Grey Harbour Board staff (2nd. payment) .. 3 9 0 Total 258 19 6 EX-PRISONER’S GRIEVANCE. . During the period of confinement in prison, prisoners arc exempted from payment of the unemployment levy. It has been shown to a “Star” reporter to-day, that anomalies creep into the Act, which are a handicap to the prisoner released from gaol getting work. The following is a case cited. Mr X served a term of nine months in prison, which exempted him from payment of levies up to the end of July. In order to obtain employment, during the period ending this month, Mi’ X paid the latter levy from which he was exempted, bat had a fine of 1/- imposed, because the levy was not paid until July. The position then, is that Mr X was fined sixpence per month, while in gaol, for the non payment of a levy from which he was exempt.

Any person exempted from payment of the levy cannot be employed under the Unemployment Act. Another anomaly is cited in the case of any prisoner who for example, serves' a term of three months’ imprisonment. When he is released, he is given 2/6, and could again be charged with vagrancy. He has not the money to pay his unemployment levy without assistance from some charitable organisation, or the Prisoners’ Aid Society. The opinion advanced is that a prisoner liberated should be granted work, and the necessary portion of the levy could be extracted by instalments from his payGREENWOOD ESTATE TO PAY. WELLINGTON, July 15. Reserved judgment was given by Judge Ostler, to-day, in the case in which the executors and trustees of the will of the late George Dean Greenwood' raised the question of whether they were liable to pay instalments of the unemployment emergency charge, for which the testator would have been liable had he lived. Testator died on August 28, 1932. During the year ended February 28, 1933, his income other than salary and wages was over £25,000. His Honor held that the executors were liable to the Crown for the two instalments unpaid of the tax on the 1932 income, and for all former instalments of the tax on the income for the year ended March 31, 1933. His Honor said, however, that the questions involved were not free from difficulty, owing to the fact that the answers depended' upon the construction of the statutes, which were enacted somewhat hastily to meet the present emergency, and which imposed for the first time a novel form of taxation. The best construction he could give to the matter was the contention of the Crown was correct, although he should be happy to see the matter reconsidered by the Court of Appeal.