The Hawera Star. MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1928. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF RATES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 March 1928, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1928. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF RATES.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Rawer a. Manaia, Normanby. Okaiawa. Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Alton, Hurleyville Patea. Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara. Ohangai. Meremere. Fraser Road, and Ararata.

One of the obstacles which has to be faced by all those who undertake the task of doing something for the unemployed is the suspicion of trade unionists, who are not themselves out of work. It has suited the purpose of Labour to unemployment as a preventable evil, something which the Government and employers generally could, if they would, wipe out. Whereever -public sympathy has been aroused, and an effort made to do something towards relieving the lot of the unemployed, the unionists have demanded that nothing should be done in the name of humanity which would result in reducing the standard of living of the working man. This demand, if it were advocated with temperance and with a proper consideration of all the existing circumstances, would be perfectly proper, for no one desires to see unemployment exploited by those in search of cheap labour. But surely the time has long past when official Labour should continue to raise this cry of “exploitation” and foster suspicion in the minds of their followers! The record of unemployment in this country during the last three or four years is sufficiently disturbing, one would think, to cause even the most ardent supporter of unionism to make his enthusiasm for the" cause which he has so close at heart take second place to the needs of the men, women and children who are in dire need of the 'food and comforts which only money can give. But such unhappily has not been the case. In the metropolitan centres trade unionists, or those who profess to represent them, have demanded recognition of their “right to work” but have failed to show how work is to be provided without money, or where money is to come from when it is scarce. Some of these unionists and secretaries have led deputations to Ministers of the Crown and to mayors of the cities, using instances of suffering and misery on the part of those who have been long out of work to support their demands. Yet we find many of these self-same leaders, who have been so torn with pity at sight of their fellow’s suffering, taking a prominent place among those who contend that all unemployed engaged on relief work shall be paid not less than the award rate of wages. Their inconsistency is hard to understand. If the lot of the unemployed is as sad as they would have the public believe — and we are convinced that in many cases it is—how is it that these leaders cannot see that half a loaf is better than no bread? We know, of course, what their answer would be — that they are fighting for a principle and that they are prepared to sacrifice some of their members at present rather than sacrifice the whole of unionism for all time. But it is much easier for the man in a well-paid job to talk about principle than it is for the man who has no work and not enough to eat. We wonder what the genuine unemployed think of the leaders who demand that Hugney raised to assist the workless over a difficult period should be spent quickly by the payment of full award rates rather than husbanded carefully so that it may keep the wolf from as many doors as possible for as Jong a time as possible. That the class suspicion raised in the first place by the leaders has spread during the last few years, ddspite the tragedy of an unemployment problem which no one ha s been able to solve, is proved by the position obtaining in New Plymouth. There the unionists promised to support a scheme for raising money by public contribution only if those in charge of the funds would guarantee that nobody employed on relief works Would be paid less than the award rate of wages. The citizens committee felt that it had to accede to that demand, for it realised that it would not be able to carry out its relief scheme without the financial support of the workers, but the outcome has been, in some aspects, a most unhappy one for the unemployed themselves. The committee is paying award wages, but it can provide work for married men for only four days a week, the result being that the married man who might have looked to earn £3 12s at the relief rate of twelve shillings a day for a six day week, has to console himsel’f with £2 18s 8d for four days’ work. He has the satisfaction of knowing, of course, that he is assisting to uphold one of the great principles of the Labour Party, but we fancy that he will not find that a good substitute for food for his dependents. If the situation which has developed in New Plymouth does not convince Labour once and for all that in this life one cannot have one’s cake and eat it too, then nothing ever will.