INANGAHUA UNEMPLOYED.

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1933, Page 8

INANGAHUA UNEMPLOYED.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Beading the report of the Grey County Council’s last meeting published in youy paper under the heading “Mocking the . Unemployed,” it is quite evident that the, County (\>un<-il are not aware (hat there are. men on relict work who do have to work on Saturdays. CT. Mulcare stated that there were no relief workers working ou Saturdays, anywhere in New Zealand. Yet right at the bark door of the Grey County we have men -who do work on Saturdays; the two-day three- • hour men employed by the Inangahua County Council, have to work three 1 hours on the Saturday, and if a holiday happens along upon this day and the Unemployment Board grants pay ; lor same, these unfortunates have to s work those three hours on another day. Ln other words, you get nothing for : nothing from the Inangahua County « Council, although they do not find 1 the. monies. But at the same time all i must agree with Cri Mulcare’s state- i ment that it is rank hypocrisy not •* only upon the Unemployment Board’s 1 part, but also upon that of the local < bodies employing relief workers. I £ am pleased to see Cr. Mulcare’s mo- ] tion re writing to the Unemployment i Board was carried, and wo only -wish < 'the same interest would be taken by 1 the Inangahua County Council. But ? this i.s looking further ahead than 1 oven Mr. Forbes and party, and there- 1 fore out of reach. In your issue in i “Millerton Notes,” I noticed the Un- ( employed workers arc a little concern- c cd in regard to the monies donated c from the Art Union. This matter t also is being watched carefully here, t but so far no results are forthcoming t from the £2B donated; One -would a think that the Inangahua County Conn- 1: cil would push themselves out’ of the a way a mite and se(* into things in f general when donations are given; but t

OU till’ oilier hand their pulicv is io abuse this unemployed by gelling out of payment of the basic wage and gelling their work done for nothing tis far as labour costs are concerned. It is a wonder relief workers are not called Upon to drive the motor lorries. This would cut out wages then to the tune of 30/- daily. Farmers too, are now aide to obtain relief workers under the No. 5 Scheme, thereby obtaining cheap labour, a.ud it is only a callous exploitation of unemployed labour, and it should be stopped, farm work or any other work be plicate bodies or persons should be made to subsidise labour, and bring the rebel pay up io a, standard living wage. Itegarding the issue of boots to the unemployed, no mention of the subject has been forthcoming from the heads of Reefton. A relief worker can work in his bare feet. Something similar happened here in February. 1932. wdion men had to go io camp at Stevenson’s Flat. One member of the Inanga-hua County Council had the audacity to state that a billy was quite enough of a. cooking utensil to camp with. This is the policy carried cut here. Could we expect anything to bo done with the. previous statements above when wo have such beautiful administration and despotism practised by a local body, even when Mr IV. Bromley, a member of the Unemployment Board, visited Greymouth. It was out of the question for those responsible to ask this gentleman to visit Reefton on his way io Westport, perhaps it is the aim of responsible men here to class Beeftori as a town above anything in the nature of hardships amongst the unemployed. This shows flic public that Reefton is run solely bv oligarchy, or even an oligarch. Maybe some one is expecting a diadem. I hope he receives it. Well. Sir, I must thank you for your valuable space, for I could relate matters that would fill a special edition. — T am etc., DUM SPIRO SPERO. Reeft on.