MEN ON RELIEF WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21086, 21 January 1932, Page 10

MEN ON RELIEF WORK.

VIGILANCE OF DEPARTMENT. SCRUTINISING EXTRA INCOME. Statements that persons on superannuation were being employed on relief works were denied by officers of the Labour Department at Auckland yesterday. They said that anyone possessing knowledge of persons in receipt of ah income apart from relief work payments should recognise a public duty by reporting tho circumstances to the department. The officer in charge of the bureau, Mr. W. Slaughter, made it clear that tho department paid scrupulous attention to determining exactly tho income of every applicant for relief. Each case was judged oil its merits, and the unemployed wage-earner who was destitute received preference. Upon his employment, other applicants were considered for relief work, and employment was given in the most necessitous cases until the funds were expended. Asked if there were instances known to the bureau of superannuated persons competing with those for whom ' relief work was designed, Mr. Slaughter said that such cases would mean that the men concerned had made a false declaration in the inquiry sheets on which the department required every applicant to state his circumstances and his income for the past year. "Anyone who makes a false declaration is liable," added Mr. Slaughter, "and lie is bound to be found out some time or other. The board has not determined a maximum of money or property to be possessed by an applicant before ho is ineligible for relief work, for tho responsibilities of one man may differ widely from another's, although their resources may appear to be the same. This is why the department considers all applications on the basis of necessity." Mr. Slaughter pointed out that a staff of men was who/; f engaged in verifying the particulars set out by applicants on the inquiry sheets. If an applicant were found to have made a false declaration concerning his resources, he was given the opportunity of refunding money to the department, which reserved tho right to prosecute. Mr. Slaughter said the department would not permit the son of a man receiving a comfortable superannuation to be engaged on relief works. The department's attitude was that any member of a family who was in a position to earn for the family should be required to do so. If a married relief worker was entitled to £2 a week, and it was known to the department that an applicant received 10s a week independently, the man in such a position would receive only £1 10s a week in relief .wages. RELIEF RESPONSIBILITY. GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. Criticism of the Government's efforts to curtail .relief administered by hospital boards was expressed at a meeting of Auckland Labour members of Parliament yesterday. Mr. W. E. Parry presided. Tt was pointed out that the Act provided for sustenance payments if work could riot, be found. Both the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W, Forbes, and the Minister in charge of Unemployment., the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, bad said tlioy were opposed to the principle of tho "dole," but similar relief by hospital boards had been permit ted. Resolutions were passed commending (lie policy of the chairman of tho Auckland Hospital Board, Mr. W. Wallace, in not permitting peoplo to starve, and urging that tho Government Should shoulder the, responsibility of interpreting the Act to the letter. ' ,