UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Northern Advocate, 11 June 1926, Page 4

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

PRIME MINISTER CRITICISED. DUNEDIN, This Day. A meeting of the Otago Labour Council condemned the Prime Minister’s proposal to employ men at under award rates, stating, “We deny emphatically the right or authority of any official to over-ride the decision of the Arbitration Court, even under the pretence •of relieving distress. Furthermore, we regard as' particularly reprehensible the Prime Minister’s unconscionable attempt to take advantage of destitution, which has been [ rendered more acute by his own disorderly immigration policy, to drive an unjust bargain with the innocently helpless and unfortunate. We refuse to believe that the people of New Zealand wish to be made partners in a practice of this kind, which can be regarded only as a flagrant abuse of power.’’—Press Assn.

PALMERSTON’S PLIGHT. ' “PALMERSTON N., This Day. A' meeting was held this morning at the request of the Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., presiding, to consider means of relieving the unemployment position, locally, which is very acute. t ■ The Labour inspector reported that there were in town 135 married men with dependents, totalling 438, out of work, as well as 37 single men. Of these totals there were 30 distressed cases, affecting 123 dependants. After discussion on local measures for relieving the position, a committee was set up to find employment in town and to select deserving eases for engagement. It was decided to send the following resolution to Mr Coates; ‘‘That we view with alarm the amount of unemployment in Palmerston North, and consider that as the railway works here have been commenced, and constitute work of a productive nature, a remedy is easily available by providing more work on the deviation in order to absorb as far as possible all local unemployment.”—’Press Assn.