RELIEF POLICY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 29 July 1933, Page 8

RELIEF POLICY

CHANGES URGED DEPUTATION TO MI NIST ER Proposals that the present relief scheme should he suspended and that .sustenance should he paid, and that the Government should arrange an immediate conference to evolve a national policy in connection with unemployment, were placed before llio Minister of Labour (tlie lion. A. Hamilton) yesterday hv a deputation from the National Union of Unemployed, reports Hie "Post.” The deputation also asked for the removal ol several anomalies in the administration work of tlie Unemployment Board. -The. Minister -said he was always prepared to discuss freely and fully with the deputation questions aborting the unemployed, and he would go into rlie matters raised by them. Incidentally, ho remarked tlr.it- at the present the hoard was allocating £lO.000 or £II,OOO a week more, than their average weekly income, and that regis-

trations were increasing. Mr S. Vella, secretary of the National Union of Unemployed, submitted the following proposals: — Tentative proposal: r l hat the present relief scheme be suspended and the Susteiiame Act, 1930, be applied. Alternative proposal : (1) That the Government arrange an immediate conference between a representative Parliamentary committee, employers, em-

ployed. and unemployed, to evolve a national policy whereby an all-round increase in workers' purchasing power will be established and protected. Removal of the following administrative anomalies: (!) When an unemployed man cannot be placed ill work, iiis payment remain the same, as when lie is at work; (2) that the present cut of two hours each week be immediately abolished and full sustenance paid, (3) that the Unemployment Board be instructed by the Government to publish an audited balance-sheet yearly (1932)

to lie shown, and further that the Goveminent order the hoard to publish a list of all recipients of subsidies from Hie fund, with the amount ot subsidy to each shown, together with the number of unemployed workers absorbed by each recipient; (4) that provision he made by law that no unemployed worker he asked to pay more than 25 per cent, of his allocation in rent when there is no other source of income; (5) that no local authority he permitted to employ unemployed at relief rates for essential works; (6) that employers be not permitted to dismiss hands* for tlie purpose of having them registered as unemployed so as to gain tlie susidy; (7) that the “contracting out” scheme be abolished. -11 c said that iu June last a deputa-

tion from the National Union had pointed out that they were below the safetyline, and had suggested that more revenue be found for the fund. IL was suggested now that if sustenance were provided; unemployed registrations might be set on a decline which would likely lo become continuous. Much useful and necessary work was being undertaken with subsidised labour, ancl it was more than likely that in the first two months or so registrations would recede by 20.0UJ. I’lie fund even at that level would go further. There would be more per head for tlie unemployed, and there would be more purchasing power in the liancis of those who had been absorbed, which would automatically draw still move men into regular employment. Either relief labour was going to encroach more and move on genuine labour occupations, or tlie drill had to be diverted. '1 .he application of the payment of sustenance should result in all concerned being belter provided for. There was a tremendous population ol State-organised labourers, and every additional necessary or useful job, which was done on subsidised or relief labour, presented a. more and more despairing outlook. That was a development wliicn lie exhorted the Minister to check oil behalf of lieariy all the unemployed of New Zealand.

Mr Vella contended that this was the psychological time lor a conlcrenco to lie set lip. lie was confident (hat iL would recommend that the representatives of the men should have ready

access, not only to the Commissioner, hut to the board. .Many unnecessary anomalies could have been averted had there been a representative of the men on the hoard. In the meantime, there should at least be available one member of tlie board continuously to whom matters could be puL from the men in the proper representative way. .Mr Vella also requested (lie publication of a list of recipients of the Unemployment Hoard’s subsidies, and lie contended that contributors wore entitled to that information. "May we have a, statement as to whether you have a desire or a plan to facilitate the absorbing of the unemployed into free citizenship again, or, if on the other hand, ibis development of State-organ-sied, cheap labour is favourable to_ the wishes, the aims, and objects, of the Government?” he said.

Support for Mr Vella was given by Air D. McLoughlin, who also stressed the undesirability of compulsory camps for married men.

The Minister: “The camps are pretty well filled, aren’t they?” Air McLauchlin referred to the imposition of a penalty for refusal.

The. Minister: “Supposing a man refuses to go to work here?” Air McLauchlin: “But this is where they have to leave their homes.” The Minister: “I think that 10,000 or 15,000 men are in camp. Mr McLauchlin: “Voluntarily?” The Minister: “Do you all go to work voluntarily?” lie added that they could not have people altogether defying them. They were finding difficulty through resolutions being passed objecting to the camps. He suggested that the organisation should withdraw ils opposition.

Mr Vella: “We withdrew that some months ago. If the compulsion was dropped, then we had no objections to men going voluntarily.”

The Minister said that if a man or his wife was sick, or there was some sickness in the family, there could be a ease against a man going to camp. Air McLauchlin asked for the restoration of the two-hour cut.

The Minister pointed out that the country districts were asking for the city scale of allocation now. The hoard was allocating £10,900 or £II,OOO a week more than the average weekly income now. Registrations were increasing. and if sustenance were given without work he thought that registrations would further increase. Mr AleLancliliii said it was difficult for a man who received fil 7s Gd a. week and who paid £1 5s a week rent to live.

The Minister: “I don’t think there are many doing that.” Air AleLancliliii: “I have a concretes case.”

The Minister: “Dees lie live on 2s 6d a week?” Mr McLuuehlin: “He looks around gelling a. few vegetables.” Considerable discussion arose out of a request for the abolition of Ilia “contracting out” scheme. The Minister: “What do you under stand by ‘contracting out’?” Air Vella said that men who had been injured and who were put to work which might lie found too severe for them, resulting in a further injury, sigri-

ed a document contracting out of any liability.

The Minister referred to the.ordinary insurance practice, and said that the Unemployment Board did not want to contract out of anything. The board had no desire to avoid any liability. MINISTER’S REPLY Tlie Minister said that lie would look into the matters raised by tlie deputation. As far as the request for sustenance was concerned, lie had already expressed his opinion that registrations might not drop. In the meantime, it was the Government’s policy that .sustenance should be worked out. It was out iof the question just now to consider I dropping all the .schemes and putting all ! the men on to sustenance. Some deputations said that the men preferred work to sustenance. Regarding the request for a conference, tlie Minister remarked that these were tlie days when conferences were being attacked, and ! some of tlie big ones were failing Lo come; to a conclusion, lie expressed doubt as 1 to tlie satislaclorv outcome, of a conference unless there was some real purpose, and some real line advanced. So far as tlie request for the restoration of the two-hour cut was concerned, the Minister again referred to the, fact that ■ the country districts would he very pleas- > ed to get (lie allocution given in flic* cities. If. had to la* remembered, however', that there was a limit. In reference to Hie request for the publication of a lull meo-shoot. lie pointed out that the hoard published an a initial report.