WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

Hawera Star, Volume L, 31 July 1930, Page 9

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED

FURTHER DEBATE IN HOUSE SETTING UF OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS’ SUGGESTIONS. fßv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 31. Replying to .points raised during the debate' oiT the Imprest Supply Bill the Prime Minister, speaking alter the telegraph office closed at 2 o clock thismorning, said that no one had gwen the- -Government credit, for assisting local bodies to the extent of a- £2 to £ I subsidy for unemployment relief works. It. was doing everything it could to place men in work without- delay ana to see that those who could not- br>- placed did not go without food. It liail granted a. subsidy to- the. Salvation Army, which had undertaken to do- its best in cases where lack of food existed. Furthermore, there , was a responsibility on hospital and charitable- aid boards to see that people did not suffer from that cause. .He was quite willing to- consider the suggestion made by Mr. P. Fraser that a,'committee of the. Haase •should be appointed l to,deal, with tlve immediate demands of flu* situation. Mi-. S. Fletcher said lie proposed to divide the House unless the Prime Minister gave a definite assurance- that a committee would be appointed on the lines suggested by Mr. Fraser. He described these- as the minimum demand. Mr. J. O’Brien supported the proposal to appoint a select committee of the House. He said that- there should be nothing to prevent it ascertaining effective means of coping with the problem. For instance, it would be found that the timber industry was capable of absorbing 4000 men out of work. further support for the proposal was forthcoming from Mr. J. McCombs, who said that the suggestion warranted serious- consideration. He added that Mr. Fletcher’s declaration that he would divide the House on the question of granting supply would not. help the position, because it would mean that- if liis move were successful, the Government would be unable to pay men already on relief works. Air. H. E. Holland urged the Prime Minister to consider Air. Fraser’s suggestion. Such a. committee would be able to consider the immediate problems of unemployment and to make recommendations to the Government as to how the position could best be met. Air. F. Waite pointed out that a committee had already reported on unemployment- and: that there was also _ a special Cabinet unemployment committee. Surely it was competent to deal with the matter; the appointment of an additional committee would not get tlie House anywhere. Air. Forbes- stated that Cabinet had no desire to confine- the treatment of tlie unemployment question to members of the Government. There was- already a committee going into the unemployment bill and tlie matter could- be referred to* that- committee, which might be able to make some suggestions. He had no objection, however, to the appointment- of a -special committee to deal with tlie problem. Air. H. S. S. Kyle remarked that it would be futile to appoint another committee.

Air. Fraser expressed the opinion that the immediate problems were on quite a different footing from those being considered by the committee on the Bill, and lie favoured a separate body to undertake consideration of the urgent and immediate demands of tlie situation.

Mr. Fletcher .said that the Prime Minister had not yet given a- definite assurance that a committee would he -set up. Mr. Forbes declared that Mr. Fletcher was out for political advertisement. There, were members of the Labour Party who had the cause of unemployment- just m much at heart as he had and who had done more in (he past to cope with the problem. Tlia Prime Minister added that he had already -said he was willing that- a. •special committee should be set up. He was not much concerned with the threat of Mr. Fletcher to divide the House : lie could) divide if lialf-a-dozen times if he liked.

Mr. Fletcher described the statement that he was out for political advertisement as one of the vilest charges that had ever been made in the House. The Prime Minister had; said that he was willing to set -up' a committee, but had not definitely promised that lie would do so.

On the motion being put, Mr. Fletcher called for a. division, but after the bells had been rung and the chairman had again put the motion, it was adopted unanitnouslv.

The. Imprest Supply Bill, providing lor allocations amounting to £3,066,500, was then put through the remaining stages and passed l . The House rose at 3.25 a.m. till 2.30 p.m. to-dav. •* ~-

CARPENTER S’ SUG G ESTION S

DEPUTATION TO PREMIER

WELLINGTON, July 31

The Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners waited on Hon. G. \V. Forbes to-day in regard to- unemployment suggesting, among other things, the raising of tiie school age so that fathers would not he under the- need of finding work for their -boyis when they could not find work for themselves, the setting apart of part of the unemployment fund for t-lie compulsory retirement of aged workers, shortening of working days to, say, six hours, more latitude in advancing loans; to workers, greater facilities for the employment of carpenters on public works, that Parliament- Buildings should he completed and other necessary public buildings erected. Mr. Forbes promised to go into the matters raised with the Public Works unemployment officer. He would .sec what could he done in the matter of the employment of more carpenters.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTER. FIRST MEETING HELD. (By Telegraph—Special to “The Star."’) WELLINGTON. July 31. The select committee to consider the Unemployment Bill met- to-day and elected Mr. O. C. Munn-s. mom her for Itoskill, chairman. The committee commences taking evidence) on Wednesday morning, when labour organisations- will, -submit witnesses. The principal points of contention are the basis of the levy, the exclusion of women, the personnel of the Unemployment Board and tho amount of the subsistence all owa n ces.