House Sits All Night

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7298, 27 October 1933, Page 7

House Sits All Night

Debate on Imprest Supply Bill

MEMBER HAS TO WITHDRAW EXPRESSION

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. An Imprest Supply Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives this afternoon by Governor-General’s Message and was accorded urgency. Mr W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central) referred to the unemployment problem, and said the Government had failed to deal with the problem. He criticised the administration of unemployment and said that undue suffering was being imposed on the people. When men went to the Labour Bureau the third degree was put on them. The state of affairs at the present time was little short of a scandal. Ilow long did the Prime Minister think that the unemployed men and women of New Zealand were going to be satisfied with the left-off clothing of the rest of the community? How long were the people going to stand for the slave camps, which were little short of criminal incubators? Young men were marshalled and herded together in camps -without supervision. Mr A. Stuart (Government, Rangit.ikei): Some of them would rather go to the camps than work for a farmci. Labour members: No wonder. There was more unemployment in New Zealand to-day than ever there was, said Mr Parry. Not only were the unemployed being forced to work for a mere pittance, but now the Government was trying to foist piecework on to them. Would Annoy The Government. Mr Parry said if the Government had the necessary determination it could improve the lot of the relief worker in a couple of weeks. If I was a relief worker to-day,” said Mr Parry, “I would be a source of considerable annoyance to the Government. A Government member; You ere that now. (Laughter.) “I am not going to knuckle down to this sort of thing for another two years,” said Mr Parry. “I will probably have to do a bit of a term in gaol, but I won’t mind that. I didn’t shirk it before, and I hope I won t shirk it again. I don’t like it, but I won’t shirk it.” The leader of the Opposition (Mr M. J. Savage) said it was impossible for relief workers to earn their salt on the rates at present paid. If the men refused to accept the rates they were debarred from receiving any relief work. Ho moved the following amendment: — This House records its TCgret that the Government has failed to deal effectively with the question of unemployment, which is causing so much destitution and distress. It expresses disapproval of the present relief work system,, and strongly condemns the proposal to introduce piecework to jobs carried on under relief work schemes. It further expresses the opinion that the time has arrived for applying standard wages and conditions to all relief work. He said he was asking the House to support his amendment because men, women and children wero expected. to exist in a state of semi-starvation while the country did not know what to do with its production. Effect was not being given to the main provisions of the Unemployment Act and they wore poor enough. Position of Women and Youths. The amendment was seconded bv Mrs E. R. MeCombs (Labour, Lyttelton), who said she desired to refer to the problem as it affected youths and women. Boys had to be deprived of educational facilities, but were not being provided with employment. There was a responsibility on the part of Hie Government, and the Government should accept that responsibility or resign. She was amazed at the manner in which the Government leaned on the charitable institutions of tho country. She suggested that the Government should train unemployed women in beekeeping and in flower and vegetable culture. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christchurch East) said that the piecework system w*as tho worst form of injustice that had been inflicted on relief workers. Mr R. McKecn (Labour, Wellington South) said that single men’s camps amounted to internment camps. Mr D. W. Coleman (Labour, Gisborne) said that under the piecework system skilled workers would be unable to cam sufficient on which to live. Mr E. J. Howard (Labour, Christchurch South) said the whole country was opposed to the Government’s policy. Camp Accommodation. Mr H. Holland (Government, Christchurch North), said he 'had visited the Ashley single men’s camp and he considered the accommodation desirable in every particular. Mr J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn) said the Ashley camp was not characteristic of camps generally. He had visited camps in which he had seen shocking conditions. He said the Government was indifferent to the unemployment situation; it did not care. Although men were being driven down to the level of beasts, the Government thought that things were all right because tie people were quiet, but it might be the quiet before the storm. There was a rebel generation growing up throughout the Dominion which was not going to have its ambitions and its capacities frustrated by slavery conditions. Mr E. T. Tirikatene (Southern Maori) said there was widespread distress among the Maoris and he urged the Government to rectify the position. Mr D. McDougall (Independent, Alataura) said sevenpenco per yard was being paid for shifting solid Took. He •would like, to see some of the Cabinet

Ministers doing the job at those rates of pay. Mr R. Semple (Labour, AA’ellingtou East): I would like to be in charge of them. Mr F. Langstoue (Labour, AYaiinarino) said the policy of forced camps was absolutely detestable and contrary ■to all the country’s traditions. There was a big difference between the present camps and the Public AVorks camps of former days. Mr AY. A. Vcitc-h (Government, AA anganui) said that the administration of the unemployment situation was open to criticism. It was an unsound principle to use taxation revenue on. private work. All taxation should be spent on public assets and public scr•vices.

Mr A, Stuart (Government, Rangitikei) said he’regretted to be the first member of Parliament to criticise t.ic lady member for Lyttelton, but. “if she is going to make statements that are not correct, she will have to take her gruelling along with the othets, ko 1 wr as lam concerned,” ho declared. Her remarks had been an insult to the wives of New Zealand farmers. Mr Speaker: You must withdraw that word. Air Stuart: Very well, Sir, I withdraw it, but I can find no other word for it. As a farmer and as the representative of a farming community, I object to having t.o sit hero and listen to'the member for Lyttelton say that farmers do not look after tkcii cm ployees. She inferred that their employees are not properly fed. Continuing, Air Stuart said Mrs McCombs had suggested that women should be appointed to go round and see that boys were looked after. Ho declared that farmers’ wives were just as capable as women in the cities. “AVe don’t want women from the cities telling farmers’ wives what they should do,” he declared. “I want to tell her that farmers look after their employees just as well as any other class of employers.” . Airs AlcCombs, rising to a point or order, said she had made no reference to farmers’ wives, nor had she made reference to the ways boys employed on farms were fed. “The reference I made,” she said, “was to boys being sent out into the country by the Unemployment Board to be employed on farms. I quoteu a case I had heard in which a boy sent into the country had to sleep in a shed. Ho was asked to do work that one would expect to be given to a trained man and was practically cut off from human companionship, sometimes night and day. I also 3aid I considered the Government should appoint inspectors to see that boys sent to the country were looked after properly, and that for preference they should be women inspectors.” The debate was left sitting at 2 a.m.