UNEMPLOYMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 February 1934, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT

•STRIKE BALLOT TACTICS. [FEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] INVERCARGILL. January 31. Mr Marchant, Secretary of the Provincial Council of the Southland Relief Workers’ Organisation, representing practically all the relief workers, declares that the effort of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement to take a strike ballot in Southland was ignored, and that the message from Palmerston North on Tuesday was an effort to stampede the relief workers. RELIEF RATES. MASTERTON, January 31. The Masterton Unemployment Committee, by a majority of two, carried to-day, the following “That this Committee is of the opinion the decrease in the relief workers’ allowance is not in the best interest of the Dominion, and that the relief rates of 1933 be restored.” EVICTION FOR ARREARS WANGANUI, February 1. A section of Wanganui’s population witnessed an eviction of a relief worker, E. J. Read, and his family, wife and six children, ages two to 12 years, from a residence on Somme Parade, owned by the Wanganui City Council. Read had been a tenant for two years eight months, his arrears of rent being £lO3. During the period he only paid 12/- rent, maintaining that relief money was not sufficient to keep the family. There was no sign of a demonstration. Two relief workers addressed the gathering, and particularly requested there shoud be no demonstration. The furniture was transported by the Court Bailiff, and deposited under a tree on the river bank.

NATIVE CLERK’S THEFT. GISBORNE, February 1. Henare Poananga, clerk In the employ of the Native Land Department, guilty at the Police Court to the theft of £6 3s 6d, the property of the Government, and was admitted to probation. Defective McLeod stated that accused, being stationed at Ruatoria in connection with the development scheme and unemployment relief, had drawn a cheque for the work, but it had not been completed and he kept the proceeds. The Magistrate made an order for restitution of the money. POSITION AT GREYMOUTH. Although nothing official has yet been received from the National Council, it was decided at last evening’s meeting of the Greymouth Unemployed Workers’ Movement, that if a strike was decided on, the local men would not work as from next Monday. At the monthly stopwork meeting of the Greymouth Waterside Workers’ Union this morning, delegates from the Movement addressed the Union members, and requested that in the event of a strike by the unemployed, the Union consider rendering financial assistance.