MR. P. C. WEBB

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1935, Page 7

MR. P. C. WEBB

ot ADDRESS at MILLERTON. to , r T ur °' vn C<>rr.. ;p( nt MomlS' C ' WGbb / MP ’ for Bul, « r . ° n Monday evening la st addressed a pubc meetmg at Peggie’s Ua’l, M C r . ton when he gave a statement of the Partv M n he r/ Ve "’ Zealand Labour 10 Ct i ty ; ? Ir B : presided, and je wii tlie ob J ecti ’he speaker. Air s- yebb in opening, referred to the ad--10 nn rS ’k Vl T?n COnditiOnS ° f * he in F 111 ’ and t 0 the deplorable 1. ; die of the workers generally. which n .i.tcl been brought about by the prejf sori: sys em of capitalism. He could d pnn/ 10 - ’° Pe Of .? nV in those 3r (oncli.ions until the people voted a. labour Government into power in this country. He also touched o n the grave position of the majority of -he farini- os and mentioned that about 50,0(10 y m? 1 1 I,e lna,,P bankrupt at any time. lhe unemployed. when one looked j. closely into their case, were more d I \ nrno C , ” s tlinn recorded, and taking r he Mie youths and girls into account he J otal would roach about 100 000. L . Coal mining, said Air W'-bh, was d-ing displaced by oil and ehctricitv, u nnd the importation o f Austraban coal played an important part in causing much unemployment among the miners. miners who were em--2 "d ’■ (‘re hit just as hard as the r men on Jho No. ~ Scheme. Mr Webb then, referred to Hie pro- » vision of work on the Denniston track nd to th-" numbers nf men who would b, \ engaged. Ik was opposed to the • ra es of pay for this work, but what he asked, could bo done to* better the conditions at present with the present Government in power? He had written to Mr Codk. Secretary of the Labourers’ Union, regarding the application of the co-operative contract system tn the wnrk here, and had received a renly tha‘- -he system was no different from what was being applied all over ' ew Zna’and under 'he public bodies. \s the Millerton track work wop d advise the mon tn give it a go and then, if they could earn the IDs dd per day ho would he the firs: tn '"’me into a fight fio better the pnsi 'inn. He had nt Denniston addressed public meeting regarding the track ' ‘ k ord. while h-' could ■ ’-‘pdata 1 the working conditions there ’fining Afr D. Nelson. the Chairman °f 'he Unemployed Union, had stated, iho men were earning 10s fid per dav. that nrefinff a vote of confidence in the speaker and in the Labour 1 Party h“d been carded bv acclnm*' * lion, Mr Webb, referring to Air « Gm Prod’s visit to the TT>'] remarked '■ ‘hat he was a wrecker. TTo was sorry Hin" Mr Onierod was. no* present at ’his meeHng so that the speaker might have the chance of say’ng a few words I i to him. Air Webb closed his address | C •with the hope that the people on the a Hill would do their utmost 'o put a \ Labour Government into office next d elect ion. At th n call of the chairman, numerous questions wore asked, one qu'*s- 1 tinner reading out a statement as io i the conditions pertaining to the Hen- t n stmi frack work given tn a depute- <■ tion which visited Denniston from Alflerton. by Afr Ne’son. Mr McHregor asked a question m regard to {he scheme of ’and- develop < moat in the Puller district. Taking " j nrpvinus statement l>v AL- Wel>h llm 4 t jihcnU “0 00(1 farmers in Now Zealand j could, he placed in bankruptcy nt am j 'imo. what would ho the advantage c gained by:viac ; ng unemployed worker 5 ' a f'armc when there was a s'irphw of j r-.-'n commodities already in Now 'end. M” G’nss asked numorou 5 i <«nc«Tinns. The matter of boots amt ’d-T'kef. fm- unemployed on the TFi’i l was m'sod bv an unemployed worker. Mr Gr ri ce CUnemployod Union Score- c ’nr'.gave ronsnns whv M'ller'on iin- ( • ■mideyed were warv of Mk’ng on the 1 k w’o’k the main point being that ’lp’rc. v.-as no guaranteed minimum end iic wot time clause. Air R. Jack, the Pecretarv of the i Miller‘on Afino’-s’ Union moved l.'iat I Mr W-'bb’s explftn-tUion o c the track 1 ' ork b n a' cen'ed a«.- soti e f ■ ctorv Th'* c iji-'t'-on ivas seconded and cn T *r od A vot<‘ of confidence in AT" Web 1 f and in the New Zealand Labour Par'y < Avns carried bv ace'nma f ion ( Mr Webb then thanked x and asked for a vote M thanks for the r chai ''man, which urns enrr ed r As regards Afr Webb’s reference s Al- Omorod of course one must adm’tl there is a c.onfiic*' of op’nions on this '•oinh and wha + tactics - c uit one part- - n r organisation mv be viewed differ'•nt’y altogether bv another