RATION INCREASE

Grey River Argus, 14 March 1935, Page 5

RATION INCREASE

FOR THE UNEMPLOYED Scale D Men’s Rise DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 13. Promises of a fifty per cent. increase in the Ration System, and of a rise in the scale of certain of the relief workers, were made by the Minister of Employ meat, Sir Alex. Young, this afternoon, when a deputation representing the Christchurch, Wellington and National Organisations of Unemployed waited on him. A crowd of three hundred accompanied the deputation, but it was entirely orderly. Parliament House was well picketed by the police. Tine- speakers in the deputation advocated an increase in the relief allocation. They criticised the Unein ployment Board as hiding its true financial position, and they urged an improvement in the position of the single unemployed women.

The Minister explained that the sum of £1,250,000. stated to be in the Reserve Fund, of the Board, was subject to certain liabilities, and the real reserve was only £(548,000, which would be sufficient for only eight and a-half weeks on the present basis of the expenditure of the Board. The Board had considered the whole question, the Minister announced, and from May I, those workers who were on Scale D would be raised to Scale C. The Board also had decided that the Kat ion System, during the coming winter, would be improved fifty per cent, on what it was last winter. Dealing with the 10s increase in relief pay asked for by the deputation. the Minister said that, on the basis of Ihe 52,000 unemployed, it woulcte involve an additional expenditure of £1,300,000 per year. The Board wknild seriously consider the representation made, with a view to assisting where it could. The deputation was not satisfied' with the Minister’s reply and they refused to leave the room until persuaded to do so by the police.

10/- Rise Advocated

AND STOPPAGE OF NO. 5 SCHEME IMPOR TA N T CIIRI S'l’Cl 1U R CIL CONFERENCE. CHRISTCIiURCTI, March 13. A conference of the representatives of relief organisations, the churches, and the local bodies received a deputation from the Canterbury Unemployed Relief Workers’ Association in the City Council chambers this afteruoon. The conference later passed resolutions as follows:— (1) That this conference of the representatives of the local bodies, church organisations. Metropolitan Relief Association, Citizens’ Unemployment Committee, Returned Soldiers’ Association, etc., is strougb- of the opinion that the present policy of dealing with the unemployed in New Zealand should be changed. (2) That, therefore, this conference urges on the Government, pending such changes, that all of the No. 5 Scheme relief workers receive an additional payment of 10s per week, with a corresponding increase for those on sustenance. (3) That the No. 5 Scheme be gradually withdrawn. (4) That the Government commence, without delay, suitable public works of a reproductive nature, such as the completion of the railway limes, highway construction, irrigation and d ra i nage. (5) That the payment of this class of work should be at. the standard The Christchurch Presbytery to-day passed a resolution declaring that the responsibility for the full maintenance of the unemployed should b? undertaken by the State.