Appeal to Minister of Justice

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7069, 31 January 1933, Page 3

Appeal to Minister of Justice

BY FEILDING UNEMPLOYED

BETTER CONSIDERATION SOUGHT

Over one hundred of Feihling’s unemployed, representative of freezing workers and relief workers, waited ou tho Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Justice, at Feilding ou Saturday afternoon to urge better consideration of the lot. of the unemployed by the Government.

The Mayor (Mr. C. E. Taylor), who presided, stated that the conduct of the relief workers in Feilding, in the main, had been good and he went on to explain the steps which had been taken to meet tho position in Feilding. He expressed hi's sympathy for the relief workers and their troubles.

The position of many of the relief workers was set out by Mr. W. H. Oliver, who asked that more sympathetic consideration be extended to those unemployed who were deprived of relief work because they had savings in the bank. This was, the'speaker claimed, a severe penalty on the thrifty men. He assured the Minister that there was much real distress and that some action would have to be taken to help those unemployed who were unable to equip their children for the opening of school this week. A request for free school book’s for the children of relief workers was made by Mr. Thompson, who also urged consideration of his proposal that a grant be made to reimburse those grocers who had afforded credit to unemployed men. The speaker also suggested Government aid to landlords who were not receiving any rent. Mr. Brown emphasised the existence of distress and spoke of the danger from malnutrition among the children of the unemployed.

Messrs. D. M. Byrne and Glenn also spoke urging that it was high time that better consideration was given to relief workers as well as to the case of the single men. In reply tho Minister stressed the fact that no additional help from the Government could be expected at the present juncture. Mr. Cobbe said that he regretted very much the causes which had led up to the deputation and proceeded to quote from a letter from the Commissioner of Unemployment to the effect that the allocation of relief pay to Feilding was made on the same basis as that to Hamilton, Wanganui, and other large towns. Figures showing that. Feilding had received a very small reduction in its allocation were quoted and also the fact that the Commissioner regretted that it was absolutely impossible to alter the existing allocation to Feilding.

The Minister assured the men that he had personally interested himself in their behalf and he assured the deputation that in the Hon. A. D. Hamilton they had a Minister who was most sympathetic toward them. Impossibility's, however, could not be carried out, and the Government had not the money to make tho additional grants asked for. Concluding, Mr. Cobbe said that a single men’s camp was being established at Wnitotara shortly, and thought that about 20 single men from Feilding could get work there if they desired it.

A general discussion .followed, in which the Mayor explained how the allocation was dealt with. If single men were given a higher allocation it would be at the expense of the married men, and the Feilding Unemployment Committee had always taken the view that the most money should go to those unemployed who had families to keep and children to rear.

Mr. Oliver conveyed tho thanks of the deputation to the Minister for hearing their views, and expressed his disappointment that the assistance sought was not forthcoming.