REIEF WORK

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 3 June 1927, Page 5

REIEF WORK

WAGES QUESTION.

STANDARD RATES WANTED.

MINISTER ARGUES IT OUT.

BV TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL TO THE STAR. WELLINGTON, June 2. There w r ere some important sideissues to the unemployment deputation to the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) and the Minister for Labour (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) today. The delegate from the Christchurch unemployed, Mr. E. L. Hills, who got a satisfactory answer to his request that voluntary donations to unemployed funds he subsidised by. the Govexminent on the £1 for £1 basis, ranged over the present field, declaring that the Government was responsible for tire present difficulty, a (suggestion which both Ministers promptly repudiated.

The Prime Minister handled his critic patiently. He did not anticipate, he said, that even the enlarged scheme for the relief of unemployed would satisfy everybody. It was an unfortunate position due to various causes, all economic. “New Zealand,” he continued, “is unfortunate in not having a. buffer of secondary industries between our markets and the primary producer, winch leaves us vulnerable from the point of view of slackness in trade. For instance, if our products fetch loss than- we anticipate, immediately that is shown by over-importation, with insufficient funds to meet it. No Government can avoid that, because the whole community is involved 1 but immediately trouble comes along, the Government is asked to shoulder the difficulties, which are purely economic. I have heard of Mr. Hills a® a sensible, reasonable chap, who is thinking for himself, and although we may not agree with his conclusions, he is entitled to his opinion. While we draw different conclusions, we are doing what we can for the unemployed.” Mr. Coates repeated a former declaration that the economic stringency appeared to be passing, but the situation required caution, and the Government, in its further plans for work, hoped to decentralise employment by securing work in the smaller places. Mr. Hills complained strongly of what he termed the inadequate wage paid on unemployed relief works. Tne Prime Minister, he remarked, had said that he was keen to maintain the high standard of life among the workers, but be must realise in his heart that it was impossible to maintain that standard on a wage of 12s per day. “We look at it from a different viewpoint.” was the Prime Minister’s reply. “No doubt men are unemployed through nb fault of their own, but our experience proves that the moment we put men on at standard rates, there is no hope of getting rid of them. We are in this position to-day, that with , our efforts to maintain the standard rate of wages we are loaded up with •four or five thousand men more than are actually necessary. If we went on at that rate it would become a permanent charge on the country.” The Minister of Labour , mentioned the tendency of unemployed to flock to the cities. . To this Mr. Hills retorted that there were thousands fewer people on the ■ land to-day than there were some years ago. They flocked to the city because there was no work in the country. “I am in contact with men who spent three or four weeks walking the country, unable to secure work at any price.” Mr. Coates: “Why don’t they take those jobs which are'offering? I have dozens of chaps coming along, some returned soldiers, and I have told them their only chance is Government work at nine shillings per day, and they take it, telling me tha,t all they want is something with which to get over the next few months.” . . Mr. Hills: “The question of minimum wage is a sort point with hundreds and thousands of New Zealanders. who would sacrifice their lives rather than their principles, The working classes think this is a scheme to bring about a reduction in wages, which they won’t accept unless- driven to it bv starvation.” The Minister of Labour showed some impatience with this but Mr. Coates remarked reassuringly: “He is probably voicing the psychology of a certain section, but, on the other hand, we have the men who say, ‘This will do me till I get something better.’ ” -