UNEMPLOYMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 230, 29 August 1932, Page 2

UNEMPLOYMENT.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —May I through the columns of your paper express my opinions on unemployment relief. In the first place, why should men in tlie four main centres be allowed to work three and four days every week and those elsewhere be made to have a stand-down week? ' To my mind unemployment is a national question and all have to do their bit to find the unemployment tax. All the unemployed in the country should share alike. Why should a man in Palmerston North get £5 12s 6d a month and another man in Wellington get £8 per month, and yet both pay the same tax? Before Mr Coates left for Ottawa we saw in the Press that another £16.CM30 per week was to be made available for relief throughout the winter, yet here in Palmerston North we are not one penny better off: in fact, we are worse off now, with the tax Is in the pound than we were when it was only threepence. The Board has told the local committee they will not increase the allocation as long as the committee persist in giving the single man two days. I cannot understand the I Board's attitude in this matter because the single man has to find the 5s levy the same as other men and should be shown some consideration. After all the single man of to-day is the married man of to-morrow and should be shown some consideration. I would draw attention to the schemes that are in operation for the relief of unemployment. To my mind there is not one of them that does anything to improve the position at all, but acts just the reverse, and causes more men to be thrown out of work. I think the I’nemployment Board would render far better service to the country if they were to concentrate on helping those actually out of work, than by operating schemes which only make the position worse. In conclusion I would like to draw attention to the new cards issued to relief workers. I think it would be quite safe to say that they are absolutely useless and the money spent out of the unemployment fund to provide these could have been far better spent in giving a few extra days.— Tours, etc.. AVEEK-OFF.