MEN MUST GO

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11956, 29 May 1933, Page 2

MEN MUST GO

COUNTRY WQRIC FOR MARRIED

MALES

MR JESSEP’S' EXPLANATIdIV PUBLIC WORKS CAMPS,-NOT UN- - EMPLOYMENT SCHEME RULING RATES OF PAY REFUSAL MEANS- NO MORE . : BENEFITS Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 27. . . Interviewed: in-regard to public .works... cajFP-5,.,.M,fi J. S. Jessep, , de-puty-chairman "of "tlie Unemployment Board, said: “The only change in the circumstances is that the rate of pay ts.now biased on IDs a day.” A . close invesigation recently made, bo added, showed that for the period from,, July,’last'to March 31 an average of £3 a week was fairly well main, tained,. being exceeded in some cases. Work offered at 10s a day in the Public Works Department’s camps was not relief work. It iwas normal employment at the ruling rates of pay. The Unemployment Board’s funds were subscribed from the pockets of the citizens, thousands of whom were little better off than relief workers. The duty of the hoard was to care to the best of its ability for the margin of the surplus labor that remarked when' all normal employment offering was filled. The "board had no legal responsibility to men .who refus-e-d such normal »employment. The Public Works Department’s camps where 10s a day was paid came under this heading. The board had, therefore, held that if any able-bodied man declined without adequate reason work that was offering ho himself absolved 1 the board from further responsibility.towards him. Hia condition of unemployment, became voluntary, and the hoard could Only deal with involuntary unemployment. Discussing the camps maintained By the Unemployment Relief Board, Mr Jessep said that the remuneration was necessarily lower. As work could not be brought to the city relief worker, there was no alternative but to take him to work. There was nothing unusual in a man absenting himself from home for periods when it was essential to provide for Wig wife and family.

WORKERS WANT MORE SUSTENANCE PROTEST AGAINST MARRIED MEN’S CAMPS MINISTER UNABLE TO MEET REQUESTS (I 1 re.sa Association) CHRISTCHURCH, May 27. A. deputation representing relief workers .waited on the Minister of Employment, llie Hon. A. Hamilton, this morning and asked for more grants for sustenance in money, declaring that- .poverty. was widespread and that many wives and children were suffering from malnutrition. They also protested against married men going into camps.

Air Hamilton, replying, said the Unemployment Board tad a slightly better credit balance than at this time last year, but the number of unemployed was bounding up. The last return showed an 'increase of .2000. He did! not know why the unemployed wanted to ho paid in money, rather than in kind. He knew of no centre getting a better allocation than Christchurch, which was getting fair share. If the registrations got too high the Board •might have te cut into its reserves. A voice: What are the reserves? Air Hamilton: One week’s aTTooation, about £BO,OOO- - added! that no city was doing better than Christchurch in the matter‘of additional 'help.' He' clid not understand the objections to going into camps. A voice: Do you Intend' te conscript men into camps? The Minister; We say that .if a man refuses a standard job, then it- is hjs own responsibility. A voice:’We won’t starve in a land of plenty. Tho Minister: Threats like that, won’t got you anywhere. He added that lie could not giva give an assurance that tho 10 per cent, cut would be restored.

RELIEF WORKERS’ CONGRESS-

iO FORM NATIONAL MOVEMENT- 1

(Press Association)

"WELLINGTON. May 27

Relief workers’ organisations i. ali parts of the Dominion were represented afc a conference which commenced at Wellington to-dav and which is expected to continue for several days. The object of the conference, which is attended by forty delegates Representing oyer 30,000 .unemployed, ig to form ; a« national movement with a national policy. Mr. J. R'. Scott, president of the Wellington Relief Workers’ Union, is. chairman of tho conference, -'which is not open to Ihe press;

NEW BUILDING SUBSIDY SCHEME

40-HOUR, WEEK PROBABLE

EMPLOYEES PROTEST

(Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, May 27

Tim, Unemployment Board is stated! to bo contemplating a new bun'ltling subsidy scheme, with a special condition of a short-hour week, probably 40 hours, in order to spread work. ,* ;

To this condition huillcling trade ornployers strongly, object, and are stated to have so informed the Rparc], 'believing that if a shorter - week was recognised on subsidised! jobs., it would soon become standard \ time in the trade, and tlie next thing would ho a. demand for a. full week’s wages for, a. shorter working: week'. 1 «i', :