UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20601, 27 June 1930, Page 15

UNEMPLOYED PROBLEM.

MEASURES FOR RELIEF. HOSPITAL BOARDS* FUNCTION. PENDING LEGISLATION. [BT TELEGRAPH.. —SPECIAL SEPOETEII.] WELL IN iTON, Thursday. In view of the unemployment problem Mr. W. EL Parry, member of Parliament for Auckland Central, asked the Prime Minister Hon. G. W. Forbes, in the House of Representatives to-day what steps the Government proposed to take to provide relict until such time as its legislative proposals for dealing with the subject became operative. The Prime Minister said the question of relieving distress was in tie hands of the hospital boards, which were being subsidised on a ponnd-for-ponnd basis by the Government. If there were any cases where the boards were not performing their function, said Mr. Forbes, he would look into those instances.

sfr. Parry: But they do not provide beds. Mr. Forbes: The function cf the hospital boards is to relieve distress. SUBSIDY NOT TO CEASE. GOVERNMENT'S ANTICIPATIONS. [BE TELEGEJLPH.—OWN COHSESPOSDEXT. ] WELLINGTON, Thursday, j While announcing that the Government had decided net to depart from the existing statutory method of subsidising hospital boards' expenditure, the Prime Minister stated in a letter received by the Wellington Hospital Board to-day that legislation would be brought flown this session of Parliament to deal with the unemployment problem. It was confidently hoped that as a result the incidence of outdoor relief would be substantially reduced. The Consolidated Fund was already bearing half the cost of relief in the case of hospital boards, and, in addition, a proportion of the expenditure incurred by local bodies. It was considered equitable that local ratepayers should bear a share of the responsibility for local distress. MENTAL HOSPITALS. PATIENTS' ACCOMMODATION. ALLEGED LACK OF BEDDING. [BT XELEGEAPH. —SPECIAL EEPOnTEB.] WELLINGTON. Thursday, j A suggestion that several hundred j patients in mental hospitals throughout j New Zealand wera not being provided with proper bed accommodation was made in notice of a question to the Minister of Health given by Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Fraser said hs to ask the Minister whether it waif a fact thaf j several hundred patients in mental hes- j pitals were not being provided with proper ] beds and chat many were farced to sleep on " shake downs." Ha also desired to know whether the Government intended to remedy this position if it existed, and whether any steps had already been taken to do so if the Government was aware of the situation.

EDUCATION INQUIRY. REPORT EXPECTED SOON. [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPOH.TEB..] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The members of the Education Committee of the House of Representatives met at Parliament Buildings this morning and again late in the afternoon, after the adjournment of the House. The next meeting cf the committee -will be held on Tuesday morning, when farther consideration will be given to several points that require completing. It is anticipated that the report will be presented to the House at an early date, as the order of reference requires that it be presented within 14 days of the opening of the House. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF. STATEMENT TO BE MADE. [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER-] WELLINGTON, Thursday. Arrangements are being made for a meeting of the Earthquake Relief Funds Committee and later a full statement will be submitted, according to an announcement made in the House to-day by the Prime Minister. It was explained that temporary allowances were now being made to widows and other 3. j The Prime Minister's announcement | was in answer to a question by Mr. G. | C. Black (Motueka), who had asked what i steps were being taken to wind up the committee.