LIVELY MEETING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 59, 21 February 1931, Page 5

LIVELY MEETING

NAPIER WORKERS. QUESTION OF PAYMENT. 4/- REDUCTION RESENTED. Strong exception is being taken in Napier to tho proposal of the Earthquake Control Committee that the sum of 4/- per day reduction should be made out of all employees’ wages who had been working constantly since the 'quake. At a largely attended meeting on Nelson Park last night following a lengthy discussion in which the speakers were subject to considerable interruption, the gathering decided that a committee consisting of throe of their number should meet the Napier Control Committee to place the views of tho workers before them, reporting back to the workers on Sunday. Mr. G. Brown, secretary of the Drivers’ and General Labourers’ Union, who was the first speaker, said that the first consideration should be given to the workers who, following the ’quake, were engaged on the work of finding corpses. He stated that during the first week there were a largo number of mon who had done good work for the good of the town without any thought of the payment which they would receive. The 4/per day which the committee said had to be paid was unfair and unreasonable and he was sure that the workers would agree with him that the moals supplied at tho school wore not worth it.

Mr. W. Nash, M.P. for Hutt, paid tribute to the work done in organising tho town. In the system of payment of wages anomalies existed and many aspects of tho proposal in connection with tho deduction of 4/- per day wore open to criticism. He was not going to criticise, however, and asked tho meeting to look at it from the committee’s point of view. The men on tho committee had done wonderful work and should bo forgiven for tho way that they had put their proposal. He urged that the meeting should forget tho mistake that had been made.

Mr. W. E. Barnard, M.P., in endorsing Mr. Nash’s remarks, stated that the committee was of the opinion that, tho relief funds were not going to do nearly as much as it was hoped they would, and one object of applying the 4/- per day deduction was to have more money with which to repair the homes of tho people. The people had to look to the future when there wore shuttered homos, subject to mortgages, to be repaired. Ho was endeavouring to get tnc Government to ascertain the total loss incurred and whether it was due to fire or earthquake. He was of tho opinion that the Government should set up a body of expert men from outside the earthquake area to consider tho whole question and to report to the Government in order that Parliament should bo able to consider the whole problem as soon as it met on March 11. He had advised the Ri. Hon. J. G. Coates and Mr. H. Holland of this proposal and had received their agreement. . Mr. Barnard then suggested that tho gathering should set up a committee to represent it and then moot, the Control Committee to put forward any complaints that there might bo. These could bo considered and a report made back to the workers. Mr. H. lan Simson, in tho course of a lively address, complimented the Control Committee and Mr. Barnard tor tho manner in which they had controlled tho situation.

A variety of questions were asked but owing to the many interjections it was difficult for tho speakers to grip thoir purport.