REDUCED SUSTENANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21289, 16 September 1932, Page 12

REDUCED SUSTENANCE

PROTEST IN WELLINGTON REQUEST FOR RESTORATION MATTER TO BE DISCUSSED [ riV TELEGIIAPfT —Pit ESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday A request that the reduction in .sustenance payments, made to nion for whom no work was available, should bo immediately restored, was made to the actingMinister of Employment, 1 lie lion. A. Hamilton, to-day by a. large deputation representing relief workers in Wellington. Mr. It. Semple, AJ.P., said relief workors in Wellington wero deoply concerned at tho Unemployment Board's decision. Tho unemployed were already living in a stato of semi-starvation nnd the reduction would mean that men and dependants would faco veritable starvation. Otlier speakors asserted that tho relief worker was being mndo the scapegoat between tho Unemployment Board and tho local bodies. It was estimated that 381 men in Wellington would bo affected by tho cut this week.

The president of tho Alliance of Labour, Mr. A. Cook, said ho would like to know why the cut was being applied to Wellington only. Tho Minister: That is not tho case. It has general application. 'J he position is that they are finding work in most other parts of New Zealand, so in actual practice it may not apply. Air. D. S. Campbell contended that the Minister had stated that a farmer was allowed 15s a week to keep men in "tucker." Air. Hamilton: I do not think I said that. I may have said tho amount of "tucker" a man received was estimated at 15s. Air. Campbell: Well, we will accept it that way. Yon estimate that it costs 15s to keep a man in "tucker" on a farm, and yet singlo men in town aro receiving 7s 6d a week. It appears thero is one rulo for the farmers and another for tho town. Air. Hamilton said thero was plenty of work in tho country for singlo men and asked what was wrong with tho camps. Air. Campbell said the camps had never been a success sinco they stalled. In his reply to the deputation, the Minister said ho did not pretend all tho unemployed wero satisfied with tho conditions under which they were working. The Government realised the conditions wero not of tho best, but tho country was passing through very difficult times. The Government and the board wero endeavouring to give some relief and, personally, ho felt they were meeting the position fairly well. They were finding between £4,000,000 and £5,000,000. A Member of tho Deputation: The trouble is you aro not using the money in the right way.

The Minister said tho Government's policy was that the men should work for tho money they received. The Government was trying to help everybody to earn something and many were getting £2 a week. Tho Government wanted tho local bodies to put men to work. He would be quite prepared to discuss the matter with the board and with the Wellington City Council in tho light of the representations which tho deputation had made. ,