UNEMPLOYED PROTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20556, 6 May 1930, Page 14

UNEMPLOYED PROTEST.

GOVERNMENT ASSAILED. NO CONFIDENCE IN PLANS. MINISTER MEETS 500 MEN. A motion expressing lack of confidence in ilfo proposals of the Government, to deal with the unemployment problem was passed at a meeting of tho unemployed men, which was addressed by the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, in St. Matthew's Hall yesterday. There was an attendance of about 500 men, Mr. W. G. Murphy presiding. Mr. Ransom gave an outlino of what tho Government had accomplished during tho past year. He said the expenditure on relief works during 1928 had been £265,900, and this was increased to .£305,000 in 1929. Subsidies to local bodies had been increased from £BOOO to £28,000. Tho total number of men at present employed by the Public Works Department was 5290, ol! which 1600 were engaged on relief works.

The Minister said 85 per cent, of the relief work in the Auckland Province was under the co-operative contract system, whereby payment was made by results. The average rate of pay was 14s, although tho sum was not always given owing to the class of work and the inexperience of the men. Steps to Provide Work. Arrangements had been made to give work to u further 300 men in the Auckland Province, and 200 of these had already been placed. The Minister said it had been represented to him that a number of men was put off work on tho Westfield deviation. During his recent tour of the Franklin County he had made arrangements for 26 to be placed on work, and the County Council had relief work under review which would call for more men during the winter. Further relief work would be made available by the Public Works Department as soon as possible. It. might not be possible to absorb all the unemployed, but it was hoped (o placo all able-bodied men willing to work. Tho Minister said efforts were being made by the Lands Department to open Crown lands for settlement; In many cases a good deal of clearing would be necessary before tho sections were taken, and this would bo carried out as relief work. In this direction tho Auckland Province offered more scope than any other part of the Dominion.

The Minister received an attentive hearing and was warmly applauded at thn conclusion of his address. Several questions were asked, and in many cases dissatisfaction was expressed with the replies given by the Minister. Bombardment of Questions.

A charge that the wages of men on relief works were reduced after the first contract was mado by one speaker, and the Minister promised to give attention to the matter. The chairman said the Minister should have known that such was the case without having to obtain particulars.

There were "cries of "He is dodging," the Minister replying that lie could not possibly carry all the information in hi:; head.

Loud applause followed a question as to what the Government proposed to do for tho great majority of the unemployed, for whom no arrangements had been made. Mr. Ransom said instructions had been issued to engineers of the Public Works Department to prepare several large works. Among these was the Botorua•Taupo Road. Questioners continued .to seek a definite reply from the Minister as to what he could do. One man said the Minister "did not care."

Mr. Bansom: Will you look me in the face and say 1 do not care ? " Give Us a Shilling."

"What would be your reply to a man who said he did not have one shilling in his pocket?" said another man.

The Minister said he would give him a shilling.

Cries of "Give us all a shilling" wero heard from all parts of the hall. Replying to a questioner, who asked whether the Charitable Aid 'Board could be required to pay rent for a married man out of work, the Minister said he would mako representations to the department concerned.

Tho chairman asked the meeting whether the Minister's proposals were satisfactory. There was a very strong negative reply, while a few voices replied in the affirmative. A motion expressing lack of confidence in the- Government's proposals, and also ono demanding that Parliament should be summoned to deal with the problem, wero carried.