LABOUR RATES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 176, 25 June 1938, Page 12

LABOUR RATES

PROVIDING FOR FAMILIES. _ UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE. (United Press Association—By iSleetric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received June 25, 12 noon. RUGBY, June 24. Discussing the votes for the Ministry of Labour and the Unemployment Assistance Board in the House of Commons to-day, Mr L. C. M. Amery drew attention to a statement in the last report of the board that the needs—assessed according to the board’s minimum scales —oi the larger families among the workers in the lower wage grades often exceeded by as-much as 10s weekly the amount brought in by the wage earner when in employment. Mr Amery said the board’s duties were to provide adequately for the minimum needs of the family and to see its administration did not create an incentive to leave work and take relief. Those duties were frequently irreoncilable. Were they, as a nation, regarding the interests of the ■growing generation to decide that the wage system should take > some account of the minimum needs of a family or be governed entirely by the nation. Labour was simply a commodity whose price was settled by haggling in the open market. He suggested that the only solution Avae to make some provision for the children of the nation irrespective of the wage earned by the parents. In the large families children were the creators of and sufferers' from poverty. A very large proportion of the children 'of the country ivere underfed and started life with all the odds weighted against them. Population trends reinforced the arguments for the system ot a family allowance, which would solve a most urgent problem from the viewpoint not only of unemployment assistance, but the building up of the fitness of the nation and doing justice to the large number of people who. through no fault of their own, .were destined to groAv up underfed stunted and unable to play a Avorthy part in the life of the nation. Lt.-Col. Amery’s plea Avas supported from the. Liberal benches and Mr Harold Macmillan (Conservative). Dr. Hiaden Guest (Labour) spoke of other aspects of the issue. _ The Secretary of Labour (Mr Ernest BroAvn), replying, said that family alloAvances could be provided, firstly, by direct State grants; secondly, by adapting an insurance system to provide extra allowances for the families of ia certain size Avitli the assurance that the family would be paid those alloAvances Avhether there Avas work or not; and, thirdly, by means of an industrial arrangement with the assistance if necessary, of the Ministry or Labour Industrial Relations Department. , . The Minister referred to the pi 00-ress o-ress of the movement for holidays with pay, Avhich lie described as remarkable. Since the appointment ot a committee on the subject two years ago a collective agreement covering 1 750.000 workers had been ratified which provided for holidays with pay.