RELIEF WORK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 119, 20 April 1932, Page 6

RELIEF WORK.

REFERENCE TO NEW SCHEME. DOLE SYSTEM NOT TO BE ADOPTED. (By Telegraph.—Special to Stanard.) WELLINGTON, April 19. Brief reference to the new system of relief work which is to be introduced shortly was made by lit. Hon. J. G. Coates in the House of Representatives to-night. The Minister said that the question was whether the dole should be resorted to or whether every effort should be made to provide work. Such work, according to the Labour Party, should be paid for at standard rates of pay. Mr W. E. Parry: Trade union rates? Mr Coates said that some members of the Labour Party seemed to be uncertain on that point. The Government did not think the country should adopt the dole system although Great Britain had taken it up. It believed that where there was work it must be provided belore sustenance was found. Mr J. McCombs: If there is no work ? < The Minister: We have not reached that stage here. He added that if sustenance were to be paid in terms of the original section to the present registered unemployed the qost would be well over £5,000,000 annually. That was apart altogether from the Public Works expenditure, and apart from the principle involved he believed the people wanted work, and he had always maintained that it was only a small percentage that was really unemployable. The .country had to make up its mind which was the proper course to follow. The Government had declared it would see that no one starved, and steps had been taken to completely reorganise the system of registration so that the Government would be in a position to see that no man, woman or child was allowed to go short of food or raiment. It would take a fortnight to complete those arrangements, and a statement covering them would be made later on.

Labour members: No good. The Minister said that if work were available for married men in the country they should be prepared to undertake it provided arrangements were made to look after their families. He agreed that married men should not be separated from their families if possible. The wages could not be at standard rates; that was definite. The work that would be provided would be an improvement on the present conditions. A member: How would you like to be separated from your family? The Minister: I have been. This is nothing less than war; it is economic war and it demands a tremendous amount of sacrifice from everybody.