NAPIER RELIEF WORKERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 209, 17 August 1933, Page 7

NAPIER RELIEF WORKERS

BEQUEST FOR UNITED , ORGANISATION. CONFERENCE RECOMMENDED The support of the Mayor of Napier (Mr C. 0. Morse) in a proposal for the formation of one organisation to watch the interests of relief workers was sought yesterday afternoon by a deputation consisting of the president and secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Centralised Relief Workers’ Association (Messrs John Law and W. E. Saunders) respectively, Mr W. E. Barnard, M.P., and Messrs R. Smith, J. McLean and T. Brophy. After hearing the views of the deputation, Mr Morse recommended that delegates from the Hawke’s Bay Centralised Relief Workers Association should meet delegates of the Napier and District Relief Workers’ Association with a view to arriving at some definite understanding regarding the possibilities of one organisation being formed, representing all the relief workers of Napier. Mr R. Smith explained to Mr Morse that a petition was taken round to the various relief workers to find out how many were in favour of disbanding the two present organisations with the object of forming a new one to bring the workers together in one united body. As a result of this petition 404 workers were found to be in favour of the proposal and 60 against it. Those who took round the petition did not canvass Westshore, Taradale or Clive. PURPOSE OF DEPUTATION. Mr J. Laws stated that the deputation had coma to Mr Morse with quite open minds and with the hopes that something tangible would result out of a conference to be held between, delegates from the two present organisations. “If one association carries on, it should be with the thorough co-opera-tion of the Mayor and the Social Service Committee,” suggested Mr W. E. Saunders. He advocated an association of al] relief workers, having the common object in view of co-operating with the business men to improve the lot of workers in respect of conditions and remuneration. The Hawke’s Bay Centralised Relief Workers’ Association had dchts, but Mr Saunders was firmly of the opinion that payment of these, as well as payment of debts owing by the other organisation, should be made by those who had derived the benefits and not by the new association. If a new association were formed, he thought that it should have the confidence of the business men of the town. MR. BARNARD’S SUPPORT. Mr W. E. Barnard. M.P., stated that the effort to embody all the unemployed of Napier in a single organisation had his sympathy and support. There were three possible ways in which the movement could be brought about: firstly, by basing it on the Napier and District Relief Workers’ Association; secondly, by basing it on the Hawke’s Bay Centralised Relief, Workers’ Association ; and thirdly, by forming a new organisation altogether. He thought that a secret ballot should be taken of all relief workers to see if they were willing to join up with one body in Napier. In replying to tho deputation, Mr Morse thought that it was just a little premature. He recommended that both organisations should put their houses iu order, for he was certainly not in favour of either association forgetting its debts. The deputation agreed that yesterday’s meeting was merely a preliminary measure and that it hoped that a conference of delegates of the two associations would be held shortly.