MARRIED MEN’S CAMPS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 18 September 1933, Page 2

MARRIED MEN’S CAMPS

OPPOSITION TO PROPOSAL. PUBLIC PROTEST MEETING. The declaration that anti-camp councils were being established at every centre throughout New Zealand was made at a public protest meeting held in the Palmerston North Opera House, yesterday afternoon, in opposition to the sending of married men to camp. Subsequently the following resolution was passed:—“That this meeting endorses the following demands of the Anti-Camp Council.—(l) Abolition of all camp schemes; (2) work at trade union rates of pay and, failing this, sustenance as laid down in the Cneinployment Act of 1930; (3) free noncontributory unemployment insurance.”

Mr J. Hodgens presided and commented upon the disappointing attendance, adding that he hoped it would not be accepted as indicating that the unemployed were willing to enter camp. Reading replies made to invitations to be present, the chairman said the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) had forwarded a letter regretting that, owing to the attitude of one of the men who had approached him, he had to decline to act as chairman, having been left no option. Ensign E. Thorne, of the Salvation Army, had inquired if it. was the intention to open the meeting with prayer. Rev. Father P. J. Herlihy had replied expressing his sympathy with every movement for the alleviation of hardship or the improvement of living conditions, but intimated that it was not his practice to speak from the public platform. The Palmerston North Rotary Club president (Mr W. G. Black) had notified that tlie constitution and by-laws of that organisation debarred it from participating officially in anything of a political or religious nature. However, it was continuing its efforts to help those in need. The Palmerston North Labour Representation Committee had stated that the invitation should be forwarded direct to its various affiliations.

Mr Hodgens stated that the stage appeared to have been set in various centres for drafting married men into camps, and lie was informed that some, of these were already in camps in country districts. The unemployed would he lfady to ma.ke the sacrifice if they considered their action would solve some phase of the unemployment problem, but they wanted that guarantee first, and a better one than that given those who went away in 1914-18. AVhen the wage tax was 3d in the £, the relief workers could be paid 14s per day, but when the tax was raised the payment was reduced to 10s a day, with camps for single men. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of pounds went in the form of subsidies. Rumour had it that out of every £1 of unemployment taxation collected only 7s Od went to the relief worker. Organiser of the anti-camp movement, Mr T. Kelly (Wellington) said that the conditions of the unemployed had become progressively worse during tlie last two years. They had been forced down the social scale and now a further measure was being introduced by sending them into camps —no better than compounds miles from any centre. Prepa.rations were being made to combat the movement. Notice had been issued by the authorities to the men at Waipukurau and Pahiatua that they must enter camp. They were only demanding their inalienable right to live in comfort, and because they were resisting the conditions being, thrust upon them they were being persecuted. An appeal was made by the speaker for support for the anti-camp councils.

Mr H. W. Passey (Palmerston North) said that camps were imminent for married men, and they should awake to the possibilities of the position before it was too late. Camps, he contended, would cost 50 per cent, more than the present schemes, and would accentuate tlie unemployment problem. Representing the Makowhai single men’s camp, Mr Vine spoke of conditions there, and said they were prepared to support every opposition to sending married men to camp, where, he said, the Government appeared to have a policy of “out of sight, out of mind.”

Mr C. Mandeno said that the policy of the Unemployment Board was agitating discontent. The next speaker was Mr V. A. Christensen, who moved the resolution stated above, and alleged that the camps were demoralising. The Government policy of relief, he said, was aggravating the incidence of unemployment. He said the Government found £500,000 a year in subsidy for the farming community, and in addition £334,000 out of the Consolidated Fund for fertiliser subsidy. Furthermore, the exchange rate had put £8,000,000 a year into the pockets of 40,000 farmers, which was many times what the relief worker received.

The resolution was carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr L. Sim (Himatangi), seconded by Mr Christensen, a resolution was passed: “That this meeting demands the release of all men imprisoned for working in the cause of the unemployed.”

The chairman was accorded a vote of thanks for presiding.

On September 18th at Palmerston North a conference was convened by the representatives of the No. 2 District Anti-Camp Movement. There were present some 14 delegates with apologies from five other delegates who could not obtain the necessary transport to enable them to be present. The conference commenced at 11 a.m., ,and so earnest were the deliberations of the delegates that it was possible to go through a lengthy agenda by 4.30 p.m. Solidarity was the key note of the proceedings. The demands were expressed in forms so simple as to be beyond argument. They included abolition of all camp schemes, work at trade union rates of pay, or, failing that, sustenance according to the Act of 1930, free non-con-tributory unemployment insurance A motion was passed condemning the action of the authorities in gaoling members connected with the Anti-Camp Movement as the-prerequisite to forcing married men into camps, and demanding their immediate" release. A public meeting of protest- that was to be held in the Square could ‘not be held on account of the refusal of a permit.

This morning a deputation waited on Mr W. FI. Cadwallader, Inspector of Labour, and placed the resolutions passed at Saturday’s meeting before him, asking that he should forward them on to the authorities. Mr Cadwallader agreed to do that. The deputation was introduced by Mr R. Lee and the speakers were Messrs H. W. Passey and S. A. Vine. Mr Lee said that the resolutions had been passed at the meeting on Saturday. Mr Passey said the deputation was not merely representative of a few, but was the body speaking for several thousand men spread right through the district. Mr Vine said that he represented the Makowhai camp directly and the Nukumai camp by proxy.