UNEMPLOYMENT

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1933, Page 5

UNEMPLOYMENT

A VEILED THREAT ? Minister’s Reply to Delegation (P' r Press Association). WELLINGTON, J urn- 15. “We do not want to be hard on married men and their families Wo realise they are have a difficult time now. We say, if the Public Works ami Forestry Departments camps ar« manned voluntarily, nobody will be forced to go into camps. Those '-amps ought to be manned. and they very likely will be manned,’' said the Minister- o f Employment, lion. Hamilton, in rep’y to a deputation from tin- Relief Workers’ Union, which waited on him to protest against compulsion being used for the married men to go into the camps. The deputation said there was no objection to married men voluntarily going into camps. Airs Of ham said that tin- wives of many relief workers strongiv objected to their husbands being sent compulsorily to camps. At present the 1 families of these men were* practically on the broad line. What was the Government. going to do for the families who were left behind in miserable. positions ? Other speakers gave instances of the distressed conditions of families of many relief workers, which condition they assi rte i would be made much worse by the bread-winner of the family having to leave his home, and go into camp. In reply, the Minister said that he thought too much was being made of the compulsory element. He realised the worry and distressing conditions which existed in the homes of many of the unemployed. He pointed out that there were men wanted in some camps to-day, and it was difficult to get a full response. He could not see why there should be such a strong objection to going to those camps, if payment was fair and conditions good. The Forestry Department wished to have trees planted now. It seemed strange that there was a difficulty in getting men to go into those camps. If the Public Works and Forestry Departments camps were manned, there would be no compulsion needed. He thought those camps would be filled, ami that would greatly relieve the present difficulty. The Government would try to get the camps manned in a voluntary way. After that was done, the position would bo reviewed.