Sustenance Payment Objected To

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7459, 9 May 1934, Page 8

Sustenance Payment Objected To

Two County Councils Support

Citizens’ Protest

Relief Workers Are Affected

To accept the sustenance scheme for unemployed under protest and to support the resolution passed by citizens at a public meeting held in Palmerston North recently, and condemning the introduction of the payments, was the decision of the Kairanga County Council at Palmerston North yesterday, when the Department of Labour notified that such scheme was to operate in regard to certain county works.

The Department of Labour, through the district .inspector (Mr. W. H. Cadwallader) advised that it was proposed to commence sustenanco payments to a section of the relief workers employed by the county council as from the week ending May 19. “It is proposed tuat the men employed on your various ridings bo placed as follow: “Mangaone riding.—From the week ending May 19. Fitzherbert riding—ln the week ending May 2d. “Taonui riding.—ln the week ending ‘June 2.

‘ ‘ This arrangement will enable you to conveniently arrange transport in each week for the full number non employed on any one job. I will bo glad if you will consider the matter and advise me as early ns possible whether you are agreeable so that, should it be necessary, I will have time to make other arrangements, ’ ’ the letter concluded.

Determined On Scheme.

“The Unemployment Board is determined to carry its scheme into effect,” stated the chairman (Mr. D. Collis), who referred to the protest made bj citizens at a public meeting held at Palmerston North recently objecting to the inception of sustenanco payments. So. far, he pointed out, no reply had been received as to the representations made to the board and the Prime Minister.

“The question is now before you, insofar as the county i 3 concerned, and you have to decide. It seems to me that the Unemployment Board’s finances are in a healthy condition and those out of work are becoming less; yet now the men are being asked, to take half of what they were getting previously. Personally, my sympathy is with the genuine unemployed men who are now placed in a very unfortunate position,” concluded Mr. Collis.

Letter Prom the Mayor,

At this stage, the clerk (Mr. N. 1. Nielsen) pointed out that correspondence relative to sustenance matters had been received from the Mayor, Mr. A. E. Mansford, and it was decided by the meeting to take this before reaching any decision. In a circular letter to local bodies the Mayor drew attention to the resolution passed at a public meeting during April, objecting to the introduction of sustenance payments to the unemployed. Jn mutual interests it was requested that a similar resolution .be passed and forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Unemployment Board. “You will realise,” he said, “that it is impossible for the men and their families'to exist on these payments and if they are to live it is throwing them on the charity of their landlords and charitable institutions, to say nothing of the sapping of that spirit of independence of which ye, as colonials, have in, the past been proud, and tho detrimental effect on the young pcoplo of this Dominion.”

Standing By Citizens.

Mr. AAV G. Shannon: I think we should support the resolutions passed at tho public meeting and give the citizens all the support we can. I will move in that direction.

Mr. C. Anderson pointed out that this should be done and then the council could agreo to tho Department of Labour's proposal under protest. In a general discussion it was mentioned that sustenance was being introduced to all parts of the Dominion. Jt was highly probable that the Manawatu Drainage Board would be the next local body to be affected in the district, declared a member. That the Unemployment Board should issue a balance sheet to show how the taxpayers’ money was spent and also reveal the cost of administration, was the contention of Mr. M. A. Moody.

‘‘lt appears to me that the amount spent in administration is eating up a great deal of the money meant for those in distress. This board appears to be some kind of a secret society for every request made for information is met with a rebuff,” he stated. “As far as I can sec sustenance has been forced upon us and we have to accept the proposition under protest. But we can support the resolution pa’ssed by citizens and forward our protest on as requested by the Mayor,"' said Mr. Collis.

It was unanimously agreed to adopt this course.

Manawatu County Lends Support

MEN CANNOT LIVE ON WHAT IS offered. “I really think the time has arrived when we should give more assistance,’’ said the chairman (Councillor W. E. Barber) at yesterday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council, in opening a discussion on the resolution passed at a public meeting held in Palmerston North against the sustenance payments to unemployed. “The money is in the country, and I think more could bo done,” ho said. “It’s a wicked thing,” said Councillor J. Boyce.

The chairman:" The people on the land are producing the goods. .Councillor J. H. Perrett: I agree .that

R.S.A. Protests Over Low Relief Pay

conditions cannot continue as they are. The chairman: Out monetary system is wrong. That’s the trouble.

Councilolr Pcrrett: I don’t know what will be the position if we go on at this rate. The unemployed must have something to go on with. “I move that we endorse the Palmerston North resolutions,” said Councillor Bovcc. “It is a wicked thing that the unemployed should be expected to carry on at these rates. It is bare existence, and I cannot understand why it should be so. We in New Zealand hao never been wealthier in the matter of produce. The other day I noticed that they appointed a Governor of tho Reserve Bank at £SOOO per annum, and then a Deputy-Governor at £2OOO per annum. There is no slump if it is possible to pay such salaries. And yet they expect a marriod man to live on £1 per week. It looks as if the Government was paving the way for a reolution, and if they go on the way they are, it looks as if they will get it."

“I second the motion and quite endorse the resolutions passed in Palmerston North,” said Councillor Perrett. "I don’t know anything about tho salaries paid to the Governoror DeputyGovernor of the Reserve Bank, but I do think something more - should be given to our unemployed, so that everyone will have a reasonable chance to live. Ido not know what the position of the Unemployment Board's fund is. They put figures before us and say that it is impossible to do more, but I think it is unreasonable' to expect men to live on what they are being offered.” Councillor W. E. Pearce asked what tho position was before sustenance was decided upon by tho Unemployment Board.

The county clerk (Mr. A. K. Drew) explained that originally the men received so many days per week ev cry threo weeks in four, with a stand-down week.

Tho county engineer (Mr. H. V. Bond) further explained that the high-est-paid relief worker employed by the county received £1 Cs per week, this was a married man with four or five children. A married man with three children received .two and a quarter days a week, while a married man with no children received two days. The maximum was two days and five hours per week. Councillor Boyce: And yet the Government can pay these high salaries to the officers of the Reserve Bank!

Councillor Perrett reminded the council that the Unemployment Board differentiated in tho rates paid in towns and in the metropolitan centres. It was possible to get more work in countrytowns than in the cities, and different Tates, lie understood, applied throughout the Dominion.

Councillor Pearce: The fact of whether a man worked or not did not enable him to live any cheaper. The chairman expressed the view that there would be no relief until there "was more money in circuation to enable the people to purchase the goods they needed. Mr. Boyce: There is just as much money in the world to-day as there was before the slump.

The chairman: The people will not invest their funds.

Councillor Boyce: I am sure that if I was unemployed I would be absolutely “Red Fed.” Here we have hundreds of people practically starving, and yet we are talking of quotas and the restricting of production. Councillor Perrett: It does seem that the social system has broken down, and that the position is getting worse and worse. The chairman: I hnow that each or us sitting hero is producing more than ever, and yet people are star\ ing. Something is radically wrong. Councillor Perrett: We are producing more and getting less in revenue, and people are starving. Without further discussion the council unanimously agreed to support the Palmerston North resolutions.

SUSTENANCE SCHEME OPPOSED.

In addition to the protest made by the lvairanga County Council against the sustenance payment to relief workers yesterday, the Palmerston North branch of tho Returned Soldiers Association, at its annual meeting last evening, also moved a motion regarding payment to relief workers, and joined in supporting tho citizens in their piotest. It was carried unanimously: — “That this meeting of the Palmerston North branch of the R.S.A. supports the resolution passed at the rocer/ meeting of citizens of Talmerston North in so far as—“(a) They contain a protest against the introduction of sustenance at reduced rates; “(b) They relate to a general increase of relief rates of pay and sustenance, and pledges itself to do all in its power to assist in having full effect given to them." ’ In moving tho motion the president Mr. B. J. Jacobs) expressed the hope that every member would pledge himself to stand behind the association in this regard. He did not wish to see the tax Toeing put on the man who could

not afford it, and he really felt that the unemployment levy was not fair the way in which it was made at present, but every man that had listened to the services on Anzac Day, however, should remember the keynote of that occasion—sacrifice.

It was resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all R.S.A. branches. It was also moved and carried that it be a remit to the annual R.S.A. Conference that the present distribution of funds be increased, at any rate until such time as rates of relief pay or sustenance affords a satisfactory possibility of our own unemployed being able to reasonably maintain themselves and their families.”