URGENCY OF PROBLEM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 10

URGENCY OF PROBLEM.

PARLIAMENT'S FIRST .TASK. POSTPONING ADDRESS DEBATE. PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSAL. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. With the object of tackling the question of finding more money for unemployment relief as soon as possible, the Prime Minister proposes to postpone the Address-in-Reply debate in the Houso of Representatives when the session opens on June 25, until after proposals for increasing tho revenue of tho Unemployment Board have been dealt with. Mr. Forbes said, in an interview to-day, that -unemployment had become acuto enough to warrant Parliament making it one of the first questions to bo considered. As Supply will have to be granted by the Houso before the end of this month the first Imprest Bill will be disposed ot first of all. Ordinarily the Address-in-Reply would be taken next, but the Prime Minister is unwilling that any time should be lost in dealing with tho serious position facing tho Unemployment Board.

PROVISION OF FUNDS.

PRIME MINISTER'S POWER. BATTLESHIP GIFT RECALLED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The gift to Great Britain of the battleship New Zealand and the ability of the Prime Minister to anticipate tho will of Parliament in drawing upon State revenue intruded into tho representations of the deputation from the Wellington Citizens' Unemployment Committee which waited upon the Prime Minister to-day. In his reply, Mr... Forbes said Parliament had not given him power to take more money for the relief of unemployment and he had no power to hand further money to the board. The. Chairman of the Committee, Mr. J. I. .Goldsmith•. But you as head of tho Government have authority to use unauthorised expenditure. Mr..Forbes: Oh, no; the Treasury chest is not a place into which you can put your hand and pull out what you want. The whole question of money is bound lip by Act -of' Parliament. Mr. Goldsmith: But your predecessor could go to England and purchase a battleship for £1,000,000 and get tho consent of Parliament afterwards. Mr. Forbes said it was as well for one to know tho position before making such statements. The late Sir Joseph Ward had certainly said he would donate a battleship to the British Government, but he said it could nob be done unless ho first obtained the consent of Parliament to pay for the vessel. Mr. Forbes said he would deal with the question of unemployment and of finding more money, but his actions would be subject to Parliament's consent.

Mr. Goldsmith:-Will you do that? Mr. Forbes: Certainly I will as soon as Parliament meets.

Mr. Goldsmith: We want it before that. We want you to spend money before Parliament meets. We are sure Parliament will approve what you have done. The [Minister of Labour,- the Hon. S. G. Smith, said that, recently. 1378 men were sent to relief works in the Auckland Province and 990 of them returned to town shortly afterwards.

A MILLION NEEDED.

BOARD MEMBER'S ESTIMATE. PROCESSION OF MEN. Another procession of unemployed marched with banners down Queen Street shortly before noon yesterday and' turning back to Shortland Street, halted in front, of tho Labour Department, where a force of police had assembled; The executive committee 'was admitted to the building. For upwards of half an hour the demonstrators, whose numbers were greatly swelled by curious spectators, listened to addresses'and one side of the roadway and the pavement were practically "blocked, making it almost impossible for anyone to enter the post office in the same building. Eventually the leaders, who had been inside', appeared and announced that a member of -the- Unemployment Board, Mr. G. Finn, had consented to address them at the Labour Bureau in the old railway station and demanded a pledge that order would be" kept. This was given on the voices. It was obvious from the words of one banner, asking about the £800," that the concern of the moment was to criticise' the vote of the board toward advertising New Zealand goods. At the bureau there was a large and den;;elv packed crowd. Mr. Finn explained that the Government, and not the board, had initiated the scheme for advertising New Zealand manufactures to stimulate factory production and increase employment. The board had agreed to advance £BOO, but the manufacturers were required to find £4OO additional. If the unemployed could suggest a better plan he would support, it. • There was a good - deal of interruption and the chairman spoke severely, to those responsible. Mr. Finn said the primary producers had been helped to the extent of £BO.OOO out of the fund. Ihe sum of £BOO for stimulating New. Ze a'and manufactures was not enough. It should be £BOOO. , . , There was a good deal of ironical comment and laughter and some booing. One. of the crowd asked if the cost of publicity should not come out of the Consolidated Fund, an idea which pioduced cheers. Mr. 0. Mcßrine, ~a: member of the board, was greeted with boos. He held his ground, however, and clearly . explained the position. He stated that no funds would be available until Parliament voted them and he estimated, that not less than £1,000,000 would be required to enable the board to carry on its existing schemes for the remaining 39 weeks of the financial year. No chance of driving home the general argument was lost. When Mr.. Mcßrino said that although he wanted to eat some time that day ne would not" run away from questions, there was at once a chorus that they also would like to eat if they had any money. Ihe meeting concluded with a vote of no conlidenco in the Unemployment Board.

CITY MISSION SHELTER. COST TO HOSPITAL BOARD. Reference to the work being done at the Auckland City Mission's night shelter in Hobson Street was made by Mr. W. K. Howitt, chairman of th,e Relief Committee, at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday. Mr. Howitt said thero was a misconception regarding the cost of the shelter to the board, which was still subsidising it .to tho extent of £45 a week. Grants from the board during the period from May 1 to June 10 .amounted to £270, and during that time 6767 beds and 17,826 meals were provided. This, meant that at the present time the board's contribution was 2.63 d toward tho cost of each bed and each meal provided. "This is an arrangement which could not be improved upon," Mr. Howitt said. -"The institution is well organised and is a cheap proposition as far as the board is concerned." • -: .