CROSS PURPOSES

Northern Advocate, 7 November 1932, Page 3

CROSS PURPOSES

RETJFF ADMINISTRATION. POSITION OP E2 MEN. • (From Our Parliamentary Special.) W ELLINGTON, Sa turd ay. The position of the class B2 unemployed men was the subject, of an important reference in the House yesterday by the Acting-Minister of Employment, Mr Hamilton. It had been suggested by Mr M. .1. Savage (Labour, Auckland West) that either the hospital boards should be told to give the men relief or the Uni employment Board should do what appeared to be its obvious duty.

The Minister said the board was prepared, provided the employing authorities could find the "work, to take charge of the men. However, there would bo some who would not have the same right to receive relief pay as the ordinary relief workers, but he had been informed that the hospital boards wore treating each case on its merits, which was not so unfavourable as might be thought. A Labour Member: “What will you do if the employing authorities don’t employ them?”

The Minister: “Wo can control onr own business, but it is not so easy to control hospital boards and other authorities who administer relief in a different wav.

HANDY TO POET. SEAMEN’S PERIOD REDUCED. (From Our Parliamentary Special.) WELLINGTON, Sa turd ay. Tlie reason for the reduction made in the time seamen are allowed to undertake city relief work 'before being drafted to country camps was indicated in the House yesterday by the Acting-Minister of Employment, Mr Hamilton. According; to Mr M. ,1. .Savage (Labour, Auckland West), the time had been reduced from 12 to six months. The idea of allowing 32 months had been to keep the men handy to port in ease employment on vessels became available. He urged that the original term be reinstated, and that, failing that, the period should be fixed at least from the date the men received work, and not from the time they left the ship. Admitting that the period .had been reduced to six months, the Minister said there had been a good deal of objection to the longer term by carpenters, who objected to being put into the country, and-by others. He had been working in with the Seamen’s Union as much as possible and trying to help its members, but it was difficult to maintain the 12 months’ period; it was a privilege that was not being extended to other sections.