PROVISION OF WORK

Hawera Star, Volume L, 30 July 1930, Page 5

PROVISION OF WORK

SECOND READING OF BILL

MEMBERS MAKE SUGGESTIONS BILL GOES TO COMMITTEE. I I'XXsn Aasocialmli.J \l I'Jlil.l lNlji'.tOiN, .July -'<>■ nos..liuug mo xtenaxe on tne .secomd , ciUl in K mi' unempioymenr< mil m mo, xi oust* ox RepretseiuaTaves to-uay, ini- ,j. o. Fxetener saici -toe oansutareu tuei nomenclature liHiuced, a wrong psvciiwiogy. it siioiinul i>e “jiaiipiLoyniquu jull," anti tin: board siitiuXd oo cauleu Uio iviupvyment uoaixl. Dealing wit.ii me llat rate levy, .no pointed out taint it amounted only to the price ci a, packet or cingarettess n weoic. He suggested bachelors snouid 1 have to pay mote than married, men. Mr Fletciior iavoured. the creation, ox four economie committees. one in each ox Ike main centres, to undertake the work it was proposed to allot to the board. Abr \Y. H. JTield: said die hoped! it would he possible to repeal the Bill beiore long. He did not tlunk unempioy- 1 incut would he a permanent serious proolem. in his opinion it could he cured. by developing the secondary industries that were natural to the Dominion and assisting those primary industries that were, lagging behind. Air F. Langjstone said the development of New Zealand industries wound absorb the unemployed, and would best bo achieved by increasing the purchasing powed of tlie people. He suggested that raising money by a fiat rate levy would be costay, and it would be more simple and more equitable if the money were raised through the Land and income Tax Department. Workers Mould not readily agree to pay a poll tax when they were _ aware that the tendency for the. financial resources of tlie Dominion to get into fewer and fewer hands was continuing'. Mr D. McDougall said talking would never help those who were in need. A great deal of time bad been wasted. The Bill would have to go before a committee, and it would then (be improved whea'e necessary. He advocated granting farmers a. fifty-fifty subsidy on labour employed on their land. This would encourage a drift bade into the country. Mr McDougall urged that tlie Bill should be sent to the committee without further waste of time.

WAGES ON RELIEF WORKS. Air H. S. S. Ivyle said he considered tlie United Party was seeking an indirect way to reduce wages on relief works, "it was endeavouring to hand the problem of unemployment over to the board, and lie believed it hoped tlie board would reduce relief rates. Personally, he thought it was time the wages of single men on relief works should 'be reduced. Air R. AioKeen said he had not so much to complain about what was in tlie Bill as about what liad been left out of it. It did not go far enough. He- strongly 'differed from the opinion expressed by Aia" Hamilton that the- restrictions in awards were responsible for unemployment. He said ample precaution was taken that all awards were sufficiently elastic to prevent such a ■position arising. Air H. Holiuid (Christchurch North) replied to .statements that the Reform Party's policy liad been responsible for unemployment. He contended there was no foundation tor such statements, and asked whether unemployment in I AustraUia and the. United' States could be attributed to tsuch a course. Air R. Semple said he regarded the Bill as an indictment against the Governments of the past, an insult to working men and a manifestation of the present Government’s inability to deal with the situation. Instead of seeking to offer working men a semi-charitable allowance, the Government should have put, forward a serious scheme for employing the natural mineral and other wealth of the Dominion, and for developing the secondary industries. Hon. S. G. Smith, in reply, said it was impossible in the two minutes at liis disposal to deal adequately with all the 'points that hud been raised during the debate. He assured members that the committee dealing, with the Bid would give every detail thorough consideration. The Bill wa.s then read a second time, and, on the motion of Air Smith, was referred to a special select committee consisting of Messrs Smith, Veitch, Campbell, Howard, AlePberson, Aluans, J. A. Nash, Poison, Savage and Waite.