GOVERNMENT HELP FOR UNEMPLOYED

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6900, 4 May 1929, Page 8

GOVERNMENT HELP FOR UNEMPLOYED

Hon. E. A. Ransom’s Statement LARGE INCREASE IN NUMBER ASSISTED Per Press Association. ( • WELLINGTON, Last Night An outline of tho efforts the Government is making to relieve unemployment was given by tho' Minister of Public Works (Hon. E. A. Ransom) tonight. The Minister said he had instructed his engineers to expedite any road or other public works that could be put in hand to relievo the present position which as far as Wellington was concerned had not been greatly accentuated until quite recently. As an indication of the Government’s activities the Minister said tho Public Works Department was placing 200 men in Auckland while the Forestry Department was taking on 50 men immediately and a further 200 men shortly. In Wanganui arrangements wero being made to absorb 25 men immediately on the Wanganui river left bank road. The Minister when in Christchurch arranged for tho placing of 200 mon and the Forestry Department would bo absorbing there another 200 about tho middle of next month. Towards the end of June the Forestry Department would be able to place 100 men iu Dunedin.

Arrangements had been mado for the placing of 24 men on public works in Invercargill. The Minister mentioned also that the subsidies promised to local bodies for the current financial year totalled £107,756 of which sum £46,601 had been approved since tho present Government came into power. Instructions that the numbers of men on public works were to be increased wero issued on December 17 on which date there were 12,530 men employed. By February 23 tho number had increased to 14,554, but there had been a slight reduction since then and the total number employed on April 27 was 13,850 compared with 11,038 on April 28, 1928. Thus there were 2812 more' men employed on public works now than at the corresponding period last year. Excluding contractors and local body employees the average number of Government employees iu March 1929 was 10 286 compared with 7605 in March, 1928, an increase of 2681. The Minister added that 4700 _ men had been sent to public works, since the assumption of office by the,present Government.

LABOUR LEADERS ALSO BLAMED. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The leaders of the Labour movement as well as the Government aro being blamed by Wellington’s unemployed according to statements made during an interview which a deputation had with the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) to-day. “Tramping the streets is harder than working—much harder —and tho unemployed are getting angry about it, even to the extent of blaming us,” declared Mr. W. Bromley, secretary of the Trades Hall unemployed committee. * ‘ They are accusing us even of being co-partners in some mysterious force that is keeping them in their .present position. We know it is rubbish, but we can excuse them because they are desperate. They aro using language they don’t understand—language that might get them into trouble—because they are desperate.” Oho of tho unemployed present mentioned that some of tho men were .accusing the Prime Minister of bad faith. “I am only telling you what they are saying, ’’ he added. 4 ‘The problem here is acute and the men want to know what you are going to do. They say that many workers voted for -your candidates because you cbuld toll Coates what to do. They say now that what you told Coates to do you won’t do yourself. I’m only telling you what they say.” Tho Prime Minister: Wo are doing a great deal moro than Mr. Coates over did. (Hear, hear.) The men employed on Public Works since the present Government came into office were several thousands more than the number employed by any Government in New Zealand at tho present time of tho year. Only last week he had authorised the absorption of several hundred men in Christchurch, Whenever representations had been made the Government had moved with a view to absorbing tho men. It was quite unnecessary to call Parliament together. It could not do any more than the Government was doing. Nearly 3000 more men wero now employed on public works. Where that was going to end it was utterly impossible for him to say although the Government was anxious to help.