Unemployed Protest At Refusal of Rations

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 May 1933, Page 7

Unemployed Protest At Refusal of Rations

THREE HUNDRED MEN WAIT ON MAYOR CHRISTCHURCH, May 19. Three hundred unemployed men from the relief works marched through the city this morning carrying sugar sacks and waited on the Mayor, Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., demanding further assistance, having been refused rations by the Hospital Board. The board has been administering the weekly grants from the Mayor’s fund, but the fund is now exhausted. The men are now indignantly protesting with the Mayor. Addressing the Mayor concerning the Hospital Board’s attitude, the spokesman said he -was convinced that they' had been subjected to this' form of “tyranny and oppression’’ long enough. If the board could not provide relief someone must. It was a serious deputation with a serious demand.

“We want food. It’s a pi’ctty state of affairs when human beings «re treated in this fashion. We want food and want it now. ’ ’

The Mayor promised do what he could before to-morrow, and informed the men' that if they chose two of their number they could wait on the Government as a deputation and ho would see that the expenses to Wellington were paid. *

Still dissatisfied, a large section of the men next marched to the Government Buildings to interview an officer of the Labour Department who meets them this afternoon.

Labour Department and Hospital Board Seen SOME RELIEF GRANTED CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. After interviewing the Mayor the men marched to the offices of the Labour Department, seeking an interview ( with the officer-in-eharge, Mr. R. T. Bailey. They were informed that Mr. Bailey was out, but would meet a deputation at 1.45 p.m. The Press were not admitted to the deputation, but afterwards Mr. Bailey said the Mayor had agreed to grant £4O from the Mayor’s relief fund for the relief of necessitous cases among the men. The Mayor had asked that this money be distributed by the benevolent committee of the Hospital Board. Mr. Bailey said he had telephoned to the Unemployment Board in Wellington and had placed the whole position before it. After hearing the result of the deputation to Mr. Bailey the whole body oi men marched to the Hospital Board’s office, where they waited for three-quarters of an hour while the Mayor and Mr. Bailey conferred with the benevolent committee.

Tlie men remained quiet and goodhumoured, but towards the end of a long wait their patience began to ebb.

The outcome of the conference was that the benevolent committee agreed to distribute £4O for this week, and that assistance would be given to those men who normally would have been granted relief. After this week, if anything could be done for them it would be done through Mr. Bailey’s office. The benevolent committee would grant rations only to men who were undergoing their stand-down week.