MARRIED MEN'S PLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20986, 24 September 1931, Page 11

MARRIED MEN'S PLIGHT.

POSITION IN ELLERSLIE. ALLOWANCES RESTRICTED. INCREASE TO BE SOUGHT. A contention that the allowances granted at the Ellerslie registration bureau to a number of married relief workers were not sufficient for living purposes was made by a deputation which met Mr. W. Slaughter, of the Labour Bureau, at the chambers of the One Tree Hill Borough Council yesterday afternoon. The Mayor of One Tree Hill, Mr. I. J. Goldstine, who presided, explained that he had called the conference at the request of several of the men concerned. Mr. Slaughter, as well as the council, appreciated the difficulties experienced at the Ellerslie bureau. The question of the adequacy of the allowances had been dealt with at the lifst general meeting of the council, which, with Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau. had represented the position to Mr. Slaughter. The authorities in Wellington had, as a result, been approached on the question of giving the married men registered at Ellerslie fulllime relief. Mr. Goldstine added that provision for the men concerned had been suggested as an outcome of discussions. If given effect to it would be a way out of the difficulties. It had to he remembered that although Mr. Slaughter was in charge at Auckland he acted under the instructions of the Unemployment Board. The spokesman for the deputation said that some of the married men registered at Ellerslie were being penalised week after week when others who worked alongside them were not. Between 20 and 40 men were not receiving the required time of employment. In his particular case he was required to pay £1 a week in rent and to support a wife and four children. For the past five weeks his income under the No. 5 scheme had been only 17s 6d a week. It was quite impossible to live under such conditions. Another married man with two children said he had been receiving only 14s a week for the past five weeks. Similar conditions were cited by other speakers. Mr. Slaughter said he appreciated the position. The Unemployment Board's income was far less than was required to provide every relief worker with a fair allowance. The provision of work in the country for single men was expected to bring about a change for the better and, in future, the funds available under the No. 5 scheme would be largely devoted to assisting married men. Further representations would be made in regard to the position of the men at Ellerslie. It was pointed out by the chairman that the allocation to One Tree Hill for 45 men at Ellerslie Inst week had been only £33. The council's difficulty could he understood, as £55 was required to provide Ihe expected allowance for the workers. In future it was the council's intention to concentrate on providing for married relief workers as long as possible. The meeting closed with an assurance from the chairman that the interests of the men would he advanced as much as possible and further representations would be made immediately.